VIDEO: Welsh fans ready for kick-off in Ireland
14.15 GMT at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
Last updated 5th Feb 2022
Welsh supporters have been in full voice ready for the tournament. With a video posted on Twitter showing travelling fans singing the Welsh national anthem on the journey over to Dublin.
Welsh graffiti artist Steve Jenkins has caught the mood of the nation with a patriotic creation. He's sprayed the Welsh flag on the side of a house in Taibach, just yards from where Banksy painted Season's Greetings on a garage.
Six Nations
Wales will be without a number of key players. Captain Alun Wyn Jones is among those missing in Dublin, leaving Wayne Pivac's side short of nearly 700 experienced caps altogether.
While they may have been dismissed by the bookmakers Captain Dan Biggar believes they have the capability to rock the Aviva Stadium today.
“As I have said all week, we always start as fourth or fifth favourites,” said Biggar. “Every year we come into the Six Nations behind the big three, and I think Scotland are ahead of us with the bookies this week. It has been the same for the last 10 years.
“But I think people forget as well, the last 10 years we have been the most successful team in it, winning it four times and Ireland and England winning it three times. It is no issue for us, it is absolutely no different for us coming into the tournament as underdogs."
“Whether we’ve won it the last year, whether we have got a full-strength team, half a team missing, whatever it is, it’s always the same. We are just looking forward to the challenge of going out there and trying to get into a real arm-wrestle with Ireland, because that’s what it is when you play Ireland – you are in an arm-wrestle and you have got to match them physically, and if you don’t do that, then you are in a bit of trouble.”
“What I want to try and do in my approach is give off confidence, and I suppose the belief in myself, I want it to try and rub off on my team as well if that makes sense.
“I want to make sure that the lads who are playing in their first Six Nations, or starting their first game, or haven’t had as much experience I want them to believe they are good enough, and that we are not just rocking up to soak up everything Ireland have got.
“I want us to go there on the front foot. I suppose that will be the main aspect of my team talks; belief and scrapping for everything.
“I hope that will come through in the performance because we are going to need to have plenty of that.”
Despite being without several players Wayne Pivac has still been able to select a strong squad for today’s clash with 13 players who started the autumn victory over Australia retained.
Ellis Jenkins will make his first Six Nations start, while Josh Adams has been moved from the wing to outside centre.
“The boys have trained well in the last week or so – as well as we could expect really,” said Pivac. “So we’re in a pretty good place going into Saturday’s game.
“A lot of the team that won that competition won’t be there in Dublin. But the guys who will be there, we believe will represent us really well.
“Where we are with the bookies, we’re probably in the same position we were last year. We’ve everything to gain and nothing to lose.
“That’s the attitude, going out there and expressing ourselves. Every Six Nations everyone wants to win, and we are no different.
“We want to go out there, and each individual wants to put their best foot forward. They know there’s a lot at stake as defending champions.
“We worked hard to get that title last year, and we’d like to be in a position to try to do that again. It means week one we’ve got to work very hard to get a result, and then back that up in week two.”
Pivac has moved Josh Adams from the wing to outside centre, with Johnny McNicholl coming into the back-three to line up alongside Louis Rees-Zammit, and Liam Williams. Nick Tompkins, Dan Biggar, and Tomos Williams make up the back-line.
Up-front Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, and Tomas Francis make up a powerful front-row, with Adam Beard, and Will Rowlands at lock. Ellis Jenkins, Taine Basham, and Aaron Wainwright form a dynamic back-row trio.