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Howley first to stoke up fires

The Wales camp have lost no time in verbally cranking up the pressure ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations Championship match against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium. Former Lions and Wales scrumhalf Rob Howley, who is the current attack coach with the national side, stoked the fires by questioning whether Ireland will be able to handle the pressure of expectation that accompanies them to Cardiff.

He ventured: “It’s a huge game. There is a lot of pressure. They (Ireland) haven’t won the Grand Slam for so many years. We had that experience last year and we coped with that pressure. Can Ireland cope with the pressure of playing against the Grand Slam champions of last season and, secondly, the Millennium (Stadium) factor? We’ve got everything to play for – the Triple Crown, and I am sure the 13 points (margin) will be mentioned this week many times.

“We will go out to win the game and then we will see what happens.”

It’s good to have no doubts and it will be interesting to see if Howley’s confidence is replicated by the Welsh players come game time at the weekend.

A bridge too far for Grand Slam

You may have thought that the newspapers of the day were full of talk of a Grand Slam in the run-up to Ireland’s clash with Wales at Ravenhill back in 1948.

The truth is, the term, in rugby at least, is a little more modern with all emphasis back then on the Triple Crown.

The term did make an appearance in this paper once during the month of March 1948, but in the decidedly non-contact sport of Contract Bridge.

Reporting on the international between Ireland and England in the March 1st edition of The Irish Times, correspondent Philip Quinn informed his readers of a fine comeback by the Irish team at the Queen’s Hotel in Birmingham.

He wrote: “With 10 boards to be played in the course of this amazing recovery, the large crowd of spectators got a thrill when B. L. and H. Williams sailed into a vulnerable grand slam in diamonds.”

Sadly the comeback wasn’t quite enough as England won by 3,480 points.

Ireland trio shortlisted for award

Ireland trio Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell and Jamie Heaslip are among six names shortlisted for the Six Nations Player of the Tournament award.

Wales fullback Lee Byrne, Italy forward Sergio Parisse and England fullback Delon Armitage made up the list selected by a group of former international players.

A fan’s poll on the tournament website (www.rbs6nations.com) will decide the winner after Saturday’s final round of matches. O’Driscoll is seeking a hat-trick of awards, having won it in 2006 and 2007.

Icon Gibson still holds Irish record

From an individual perspective Irish rugby icon Mike Gibson played in every game between Ireland and Wales 1964 and 1978, turning out a record 14 times. Ieuan Evans has appeared most times for Wales, having played 12 times in this fixture.

Ireland’s captain on Saturday, Brian O’Driscoll, has scored more tries (four) than any of his countrymen in these matches but is still some way behind Welshman Johnnie Williams who during the early 1900s crossed for eight tries in five matches against Ireland (1907 to 1911).

On Saturday Wales meet Ireland for the 114th time since the first fixture at Lansdowne Road in 1882, the Principality having won on 62 occasions, Ireland 45 and the last of the six draws was 21-21 in the Arms Park in 1991.

Ireland set the records for the highest score and biggest winning margin of the series in their 54-10 victory in Dublin in 2002 while Wales’s 34-9 victory at Lansdowne Road in 1976 is their highest score against the Irish and the 29-0 victory at Cardiff in 1907 their biggest winning margin of the series.

The most number of tries scored by either side in the fixture is six; Wales managed that in 1903, 1907 and 1920 while Ireland achieved the fate in 2002 and 2004.

Taxi for Henson

It’s well known that taxi drivers are a barometer of how the general populace is feeling incorporating every topic under the sun. It was therefore interesting to note the reaction of a Welsh taxi driver on pulling up to the Vale of Glamorgan hotel yesterday as Wales centre Gavin Henson walked out of the lobby.

An Irish journalist suggested that it wouldn’t do if the car bumped into the Welsh player to which taxi driver observed: “It wouldn’t do any harm; he needs a kick up the arse.”