Six Nations 2023 - Wales v Ireland, Sat 4th Feb, KO 2:15PM - TV: VM1, BBC1, S4C

France won by four points in Cardiff last year.

team kinda selected itself, I didn’t think there was much controversial calls.

I think it’s very strong and more than capable of outplaying the Welsh. It’s much the same as against the winning teams last year. Who would you have selected differently?

There were lots of controversial calls. I wouldn't have brought Earls to the international camp, and I wouldn't have Murray on the Bench There are far better options playing week in, week-out

I wouldn't have Ross Byrne as the replacement 10. Apart from one penalty kick against Australia, what has he shown at international or HCup level?

I would have also left Stockdale and Larmour at home, and I would not have brought Aki given that he has been dropped from his club team. If Connacht can't gamble with him in a URC game, why should he retain his spot in a 6 Nations game?

I think Farrell picked his team before the squad sessions. He's not picking his squad based on recent form, therefore, he's screwing over the players who have worked really hard in those A games, or EI tours.

I never ever expect to beat Wales. Ever.

I was in Croke Park when their GS-winning side beat us, after we had won 7 of the previous 8 matches.

I was there in the 2015 6N when we thought a new dawn was emerging under Schmidt, and we just couldn't find a way through their defense, and lost.

They beat us the last time we played in Cardiff.

Names on a sheet of paper are only part of the story. Form books are out the window. Successes of the previous year are a distant memory. Chaos can galvanize a team. This is their first game under the returning Gatland.

I just can't understand any "we must smash them or GTFO" mentality.

What has earls got to do with the Welsh game?! we should be winning Saturday and I expect we will. I can see the last 10 min of each half going our way. Still confident of a win by more than 7.

we may not put a big score on them or win by a big margin, which is rare in these games, but if Ireland were coming into this with a creaking team, a terrible record and a coach in situ for a month I’d expect a hammering, even in Dublin.

What three wingers would you have taken instead of Earls, Stockdale and Larmour?

This right here is absolute garbage. When was the last time that Wales lost by even half that in Cardiff in the 6Ns? Over the last 3 6Ns Wales have conceded on average 1, 1.5 and 1.33 tries at home per game. The most they’ve conceded in 1 game over those 3 years was 3 (vs France in 2020), and France only won that game by 4 points and didn’t even score 30 points, let alone win by that much. They generally only concede 1 or 2 tries at home. And this was post Gatland and Edwards.

Other than NZ, who they seem to have a big problem with, no other side in the world has come close to a 30 point win in Cardiff in years. It just doesn’t happen (unless you’re NZ where the Welsh just seem to regularly s**t the bed). And it certainly doesn’t happen in the 6Ns.

I just can't understand any "we must smash them or GTFO" mentality

There's a weird paradox going on in which the posters who are most convinced that the selections are all wrong and we're not really a top team, are also those who are utterly adamant that we should hockey everyone we come up against and will accept nothing less.

A weak new zealand team did it to them in Cardiff a few months ago

I love how people so strongly believe they know better how to structure team environments at most elite level of a sport than an international coach 😂

What potential bolters would we have named?

I'm struggling to think of any. Farrell has given so many guys a run over the last two years that if there is an untapped well of players out there, I'm not aware of them.

Doak is maybe the only one but he's had a couple of good games after a very iffy spell.

Dear God, you've totally missed the point. Gatlands mind games don't work with this particular Irish coach.