Ireland vs. Wales: Date, Live Stream, TV Info and 6 Nations 2016 Preview
The glamour tie of the opening weekend of the Six Nations will see holders Ireland welcome a well-fancied Wales side to Dublin.
The men in green are seeking to win this illustrious competition for a third time in succession and are amongst the favourites to do so once again. Wales, who were injury ravaged at the 2015 World Cup, have a revitalised squad, and look poised to make up for falling short in their pursuit of glory at the previous major tournament.
Of course, it’s early in the competition, but this match looks set to be vital in determining which nation is crowned eventual champions. Here are some key viewing details for the contest and a look ahead to what should be a fascinating fixture at the Aviva Stadium.
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Date: Sunday, Feb. 7
Time: 3 p.m. (GMT)
TV Info: Live on BBC (UK)
Live Stream: Available via the BBC iPlayer (UK)
Ireland Seeking Three in a Row
Both Ireland and Wales were eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the previous World Cup. Each will be keen to show there have been critical lessons learned when it comes to the big occasion.
This is a competition the Irish have excelled in recently. The men in green seem to have a knack for pulling out important results when required, although this could easily be a tournament of transition for them.
After all, it’ll be the first time they’ve started this competition in a while without the inspirational Paul O’Connell in the squad, with Rory Best stepping in as skipper. As we can see courtesy of RTE Rugby, head coach Joe Schmidt feels as though the hooker is the ideal man to lead the side:
There is talent in the rest of the squad, too, particularly in the backs with the likes of Jared Payne and Robbie Henshaw. However, the absence of O’Connell at lock, not to mention injuries to Peter O'Mahony, Sean O'Brien and Iain Henderson, leave the first XV a little short of key players.
Wales had to cope with these fitness woes at the World Cup, but coach Warren Gatland has a much more balanced squad to call upon for this tournament. And on the back of a World Cup, the Welsh usually thrive, winning the tournament in 2012 and before that in 2008.
Here’s a look at the squad which Gatland has named for the crunch opener in Dublin, per the team’s official Twitter feed:
The back row is packed with exciting talent, and that’s likely to put a reshuffled Irish defence under pressure in this one. In addition, Dan Biggar has grown into a very accurate kicker, and with skipper Sam Warburton ferocious at the breakdown, he’ll get plenty of opportunities to put points from penalties on the board.
What they do lack is a ruthlessness in dangerous positions. The attacking side of the team can be superb to watch at times, and it was throughout the World Cup. But the narrow loss to South Africa in the quarter-finals was indicative of a team that can be profligate when given opportunities.
Sports journalist Alex Terrell feels as though this Welsh side is ready to sample more success in the Six Nations and win in Dublin too:
You’d have to make the visitors narrow favourites for this one. Of course, Ireland are always extremely difficult to beat on home soil, and the Aviva Stadium crowd will be right behind their players. Additionally, with away games against England and France to come, you could argue it’s a a game the Irish must win.
It’s likely to be a tournament of experimentation for Schmidt’s side, though, meaning a more settled and more cohesive Welsh outfit can grind out a win. The opening games can sometimes be attritional in this tournament and this one isn’t likely to be any different. But Gatland’s men will edge it and get their campaign off to a winning start.
Prediction: Ireland 13-20 Wales
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