Wyn Jones is prepared to adapt to stormy weather

Wales will aim to stay firmly in contention for a second successive Six Nations Grand Slam this weekend, and not be blown off course by Storm Ciara.

Heavy rain and strong winds are set to arrive in Dublin on Saturday afternoon, with gusts of up to 50mph predicted during the Aviva Stadium clash.

Wales’ degree of difficulty is acute enough without the weather playing its part, having not won a Six Nations game in Dublin since 2012.

Ireland were also the last team to beat them in a Six Nations fixture, claiming a 37-27 victory two years ago.

Wales have reeled off eight successive victories in the tournament since then, including an emphatic Grand Slamclinching success in Cardiff last season.

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones said: “Everybody likes to go out and have a bit of running rugby, but at Test level it’s what suits your opposition first, and then the variability of the environment, secondly.”

Wales have only won three Six Nations games against Ireland in Dublin since the tournament began 20 years ago.

Head coach Wayne Pivac, who takes charge of his first away-day assignment today following successes against the Barbarians and Italy, knows that a tough challenge awaits.

Pivac said Ireland are very good at grinding teams down.

“They are very good at getting go-forward and once they get the go-forward then penalties tend to come,” he said.

“We’ve got to make sure that we are disciplined with the physicality that we bring so that we don’t give away penalties.”

Pivac has made a solitary change of personnel from the Italy encounter, handing in-form Saracens centre Nick Tompkins a first Test start.

While Wales brushed Italy aside 42-0, their scrum did not always operate at maximum efficiency.