Ireland v Wales: Six Nations rugby union – live
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Key events
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Team news.
Andy Farrell makes five changes to the team that humped England. In the backs, Jacob Stockdale comes in on the wing for the injured James Lowe. Up front, Tom O’Toole starts in place of Jeremy Loughman, while Ronan Kelleher replaces Dan Sheehan at hooker. Jack Conan returns to the back row, where he’ll partner Nick Timoney whose form off the bench has rewarded him an openside berth, moving Josh van der Flier to the bench. Tadhg Beirne shifts back into the second row, with Joe McCarthy named among the replacements.
Wales coach Steve Tandy introduces three new selections after the narrow Scotland defeat. Dan Edwards returns at fly‑half with the perenially unlucky Sam Costelow unavailable, and Ellis Mee starts on the wing in place of Gabriel Hamer‑Webb. In the pack, James Botham replaces the injured Taine Plumtree. The bench features Louie Hennessey of Bath, who is in line for his first cap when called upon.
Teams
Ireland
15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Tom O’Toole, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 James Ryan, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 6 Jack Conan, 7 Nick Timoney, 8 Caelan Doris.
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Michael Milne, 18 Thomas Clarkson, 19 Joe McCarthy, 20 Josh van der Flier, 21 Nathan Doak, 22 Tom Farrell, 23 Ciaran Frawley.
Wales
15 Louis Rees‑Zammit, 14 Ellis Mee, 13 Eddie James, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Edwards, 9 Tomos Williams; 1 Rhys Carre, 2 Dewi Lake, 3 Tomas Francis, 4 Dafydd Jenkins, 5 Ben Carter, 6 Alex Mann, 7 James Botham, 8 Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 Adam Beard, 20 Olly Cracknell, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Louie Hennessey.
Preamble
It’s Friday night in Dublin and Ireland welcome Wales to the Aviva Stadium.
What a difference a week made prior to their performances in the previous round of matches; so imagine what the fortnight since could deliver. That will be the hope of the respective fans in anticipation of the game to come.
Ireland – all dynamism and nous in their dismantling of England, with more than a few outstanding individual performances thrown in – will surely look for a second record score on the bounce as par at home against the 2026 vintage of Wales.
For their part, Wales must continue their impressive feat vs Scotland of not looking like a touring rugby team that managed one training session after an 11 hour flight followed by an 11 hour drinking bender. They were so much better two weeks ago than at any time in the preceding one-hundred and two that any fall away from that is not acceptable. They still lost in Cardiff – as they will tonight most likely – but sometimes progress is measured in not receiving four yellow cards in a match and keeping it competitive for seventy minutes. It is what it is.
We’ll be off and running in an hour or so.
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