FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Ireland’s fourth round clash with Wales will be the seventh Six Nations match to take place on a Friday. Wales have featured in every match, five in Cardiff, but their record is mixed as they have won just two out of six so far.

This will be Ireland’s first time to feature in a Friday night game in the championship, but they have played at World Cups on Friday nights, their last outing a 2007 defeat to France in Paris.

Ireland’s approach has been to bring their regular matchweek preparation schedule forward by a day, assembling at Carton House on Saturday for starters instead of the usual Sunday. Later in the week, according to Donnacha Ryan, the plan will be to go to bed late and get up late to reduce the hanging around time for Friday’s 8.05pm kick-off.