The Welsh reckon they’re stronger than Ireland in one position. One.
Either they’re being too generous to their visitors for Friday night or they’re being depressingly self-deprecating. Either way, they fancy Joe Schmidt’s side.
Ahead of a crunch battle in Cardiff, the penultimate game of the Six Nations with Ireland’s title chances hanging in the balance, the Western Mail are not feeling particularly confident.
According to the Welsh newspaper, only Rory Best would definitely not make their side, losing out to their own number two Ken Owens.
Outside of that, they’ve earmarked seven Irish men who are better than their opposite numbers across the water with a further seven drawing level in a head-to-head ratings war. Well, they say seven, but one of those stalemated are CJ Stander and, let’s be honest, Warburton or not, Stander is getting in.
Western Mail not exactly confident.
Ken Owens the only Wales player to rate higher than his opposite number (Rory Best) #WALvIRE pic.twitter.com/n6QlgAxPLo— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) March 10, 2017
The Western Mail did suggest that the clash between Warburton and Stander in the backrow could be a straight shootout for the Lions starting jersey but, outside of that, they don’t really have their own players at the same level as the Irish.
15. Leigh Halfpenny 7 Rob Kearney 7
14. George North 7 Simon Zebo 8
13. Jonathan Davies 7 Garry Ringrose 7
12. Scott Williams 7 Robbie Henshaw 8
11. Liam Williams 8 Keith Earls 8
10. Dan Buggar 7 Johnny Sexton 8
9. Rhys Webb 8 Conor Murray 9
1. Thomas Francis 7 Jack McGrath 8
2. Ken Owens 8 Rory Best 7
3. Rob Evans 7 Tadhg Furlong 8
4. Jake Ball 7 Donnacha Ryan 7
5. Alun Wyn Jones 8 Devin Toner 8
6. Sam Warburton 9 CJ Stander 9
7. Justin Tipuric 8 Sean O’Brien 8
8. Ross Moriarty 7 Jamie Heaslip 8
Wales: 112
Ireland: 118
Deception tactics?
