RYAN TO CALL LINE-OUTS
Ireland can end campaign with win, says Best
this week and then when the Six Nations finishes we will have to address why we have started the last couple of seasons and our Autumn series reasonably slow. ‘We have got to make sure we leave the Six Nations at a point we can build on. We don’t want to have a drop to go up again. How can we keep pushing it up? Ultimately we want to ensure that bar is as high as possible leaving the Six Nations.’ The hosts are looking to secure their first Grand Slam since 2012 and are on a 13-game unbeaten streak. Ireland have failed to win in Cardiff under Schmidt’s watch and Best knows it will take Ireland’s best performance of the season to reverse that trend. ‘I think it is going to have to be a fairly complete 80 minutes,’ said the Ulster hooker. Munster lock Tadhg Beirne will be making his Six Nations debut alongside James Ryan, who has been entrusted with calling the lineouts this afternoon. It is a big test for the 22-year-old but Best has backed the Leinster rookie to rule the line-out battle. ‘He is a reasonably young kid but it seems as if he has been around for an eternity,’ he said. Meanwhile, the roof of the Principality Stadium will remain open for the Six Nations finale, despite a severe weather warning in the city. Schmidt requested that the roof stay open, much to the annoyance of Gatland and his squad. ‘We know that it’s going to be open,’ said Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones. ‘You’d have to ask the Irish guys about what their mentality is. We’ve trained here on a few occasions with it open and closed.’
RORY BEST has challenged Ireland to finish their Six Nations campaign on a high today as they look to build momentum ahead of the World Cup in Japan later this year.
Joe Schmidt’s men made a disastrous start to the championship with a 32-20 drubbing at the hands of England. But Ireland have steadily improved with wins against Scotland, Italy and France and skipper Best, who will be playing his final Six Nations game, has called on his teammates to produce a big finish against Wales this afternoon.
‘I think it is really important for us to show progress,’ he said.
‘After that England game we thought we had taken a step back. I thought we had prepared well but for whatever reason we didn’t perform. We looked a lot more like ourselves last week.
‘But for us, we have got to make sure we get better, because we are going to have to be better