Wales will relish the challenge of facing an Ireland side they haven’t beaten in Dublin in the Six Nations since 2012, according to Gareth Thomas. The Wales prop is preparing to go head-to head with Tadhg Furlong in a critical front row battle at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday against hosts who have won their last 10 Championship matches.

Wales skipper Dafydd Jenkins has already notched one win over an Irish side with Exeter Chiefs against Munster in the Champions Cup this season. Now he is eyeing up an even bigger upset than toppling the URC champions with his young Welsh side in Dublin in this weekend’s third round of the Six Nations.

Warren Gatland fears Welsh rugby is going to duck the essential changes he insists are needed to close the gulf between Wales and Ireland. The Wales coach says he is “not 100 per cent convinced” that regional rugby will undergo the proper reset he feels it requires. Gatland admitted “it has probably felt sometimes like you are in a sinking ship and you are trying to plug the holes a little bit”.

The size of the task facing Wales this weekend is illustrated by the statistics provided by the Guinness Six Nations official partners OPTA. When it comes to the tournament, Ireland have posted more wins than any other nation over the 26 years, have the highest win percentage and the second biggest points and try scorers.

Rob Howley knows a good scrum half when he sees one and he certainly likes what he’s seen from Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park. The New Zealand-born No 9 has become a lynchpin in the Irish side with his speed of pass, running game and tactical nous.

The play-offs are back within the sights of Pontypool after they defeated the side currently occupying fourth spot in the Indigo Premiership. Pooler’s timely 20-13 triumph over Cardiff at Pontypool Park completed a notable league double for Leighton Jones’ men over the Blue and Blacks to close the gap and reignite their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Rob Howley admits Wales must make life awkward for Ireland this weekend, otherwise the Six Nations favourites will find their groove and run riot. The Wales assistant coach believes unless his team ruffle Irish feathers from the opening whistle then any prospect of a shock away victory in Dublin is remote.

Paul O’Connell believes the legacy of influential former captain Johnny Sexton lives on among Ireland’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations squad. The reigning Grand Slam champions have made a strong start to the post-Sexton era by bouncing back from Rugby World Cup disappointment with successive championship wins over France and Italy.

Ospreys coach Toby Booth paid a glowing tribute to his match-winning “quarterback” Dan Edwards following the dramatic 19-17 victory over Ulster Rugby in Swansea. Fly-half Edwards landed a 30-metre drop goal in the 80th minute to snatch the spoils and was then engulfed by his delirious team-mates.

Keiron Assiratti wants to show Wales can add some bite to their bark in Dublin next week. So far, Wales have threatened but not delivered after two defeats in the opening rounds of the Six Nations. Now, Assiratti is ready for big dogs Ireland after time spent mulling over his future with his pet sausage dog, Pixie.

When Wales do their homework on new Irish outside half Jack Crowley they won’t have to look far for insight. Four years ago the Munster man steered the Ireland U20 team to a convincing 36-22 win over Wales in Cork, converting four of his side’s five tries and adding a penalty for good measure.

Lance Bradley is a man on a mission to usher in a successful new era for the Ospreys both on and off the field. The former Gloucester boss has only been in position as chief executive of the Welsh BKT United Rugby Championship outfit for some six weeks.

We are now midway through the BKT URC campaign, with all 16 teams having played the first nine of their 18 regular season matches. So as the league returns this weekend with Round 10, how have the Welsh sides fared so far?

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has revealed the English side of his family convinced him he should wear the red rose rather than the red jersey of Wales. Feyi-Waboso knew the time to choose between England and Wales would come but not quite so soon.

Adam Beard says Wales can upset the odds and pull of a huge shock by beating Guinness Six Nations title favourites Ireland in Dublin next week. Wales have not won a Six Nations game at the Aviva Stadium since 2012, drawing one and losing four of the subsequent meetings.

Keelan Giles has been backed to deliver more match-winning moments for the Ospreys after the wing was one of three players to sign a new deal to remain at the region. Giles, Max Nagy and Tom Botha have all agreed new contracts that will keep them at the Ospreys after this season.

Ioan Lloyd feels he has benefited from the presence of former international half-backs Neil Jenkins and Rob Howley in adapting to life as Wales’ number 10. Lloyd helped orchestrate Wales’ thrilling fightback from 27-0 adrift in their opening Guinness Six Nations game against Scotland, after going on as replacement for an injured Sam Costelow.

Liam Belcher is a man who lights things up wherever he goes. On the pitch, he’s been an illuminating presence for Cardiff Rugby this season, shining brightly with his endeavours at hooker and he will be a key figure once more in Saturday’s BKT United Rugby Championship clash with Connacht at the Arms Park.

The Welsh Rugby Union are hoping Cardiff will still come to the party for their controversial new tournament, the Elite Domestic Competition. The WRU have named nine of the 10 clubs that will contest the new tier they want to replace the current Welsh Premiership.

Wales’ young team may have shown genuine promise for the future two rounds into the Guinness Six Nations but captain Dafydd Jenkins insists there is no sugar coating the results. England ran out 16-14 winners at Twickenham on Saturday despite trailing 14-5 at half-time after a penalty try and Alex Mann’s touch down had placed Warren Gatland’s team in the driving seat.