MATCH PREVIEW: Wales v Ireland
As the Championship approaches its third round, anticipation builds for the clash between Wales and Ireland at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday 22nd February.
This will be Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt’s first game in charge after Warren Gatland stepped down as head coach following Wales’s loss to Italy in round two.
Head-to-head
Wales and Ireland have faced off 135 times since 1882. Historically Wales have dominated this fixture, winning 70 of their 135 encounters, with Ireland winning on 58 occasions and seven draws.
Ireland have won four of the last five Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixtures against Wales, with the one loss coming back in 2021. In last year’s encounter, Ireland ran out convincing 31-7 winners against Wales, making it three consecutive 20-plus-point wins in a row for the Irish.
Form
Ireland enter this match aiming for a third consecutive Championship title, having maintained an unbeaten record in the tournament so far – the only team to do so. The Triple Crown will also be up for grabs, if Ireland can win in Cardiff, it would be their 14th Triple Crown, and first since 2023.
Triple crown
Their performances have been commendable, with their most recent match ending in an 18-32 win over Scotland in Edinburgh. Young fly-half Sam Prendergast and talisman Jamison Gibson-Park have been pivotal for Ireland thus far and will be the players to watch in Cardiff.
Wales have had a turbulent start to the tournament with two defeats in the opening two rounds. With Sherratt in interim charge, fans will hope to see an increase in attacking rugby, with Wales having only scored two tries (one a penalty try) so far in this campaign.
Team news
Ireland face injury concerns ahead of the match. Key players Rónan Kelleher and captain Caelan Doris are doubtful due to neck and knee injuries respectively. Iain Henderson (hamstring) and Cormac Izuchukwu (ankle) are also unavailable due to injury.
Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett, Diarmuid Mangan, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, and Nick Timoney have all been called into the squad.
Wales, under Matt Sherratt’s interim leadership, are undergoing a period of transition.S herratt has immediately set about making changes to the Welsh squad, calling in two specialist fly-halves in Harlequins’ Jarrod Evans and Gloucester’s Gareth Anscombe. Sherratt has also called up Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn, one of the form players this season in the Gallagher Premiership, with the second most tries in the league (seven).
Ospreys centre Owen Watkin has been released from the squad following an ACL injury sustained against France in the opening round of the Championship, that requires surgery.
Saracens fullback Liam Williams has also been released following a knee injury sustained against France.
Stats dive
- Wales have won four of their last five home games against Ireland in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations (L1), however their solitary defeat in that spell came in their most recent meeting at the Principality Stadium (2023); Ireland will be aiming to win consecutive away games against Wales in the Championship for the first time since 2007-09.
- Ireland have won 18 of their last 20 matches in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations (L2), averaging 4.1 tries per game in that run and securing 14 try bonus points; their last three matches against Wales in the Championship have seen them outscore their opponents by four tries to one in each match.
- Wales have scored just 15 points across their opening two games of the 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, their lowest tally after two rounds in a single edition since Italy joined the Championship in 2000 (previously 17 in 2023).
- Wales’ Taulupe Faletau made 13 carries against Italy in Round 2 and in doing so became just the third player to reach 500 carries in Guinness Men’s Six Nations history, after Sergio Parisse (785) and Stuart Hogg (541).
- Ireland’s James Lowe is the only player to register more than 100 post-contact metres (103) at the 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations, meanwhile Wales captain Jac Morgan has made the most in-contact metres (49) of any player.
- Cian Healy has made 66 appearances in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, he will equal Alun Wyn Jones (67) for the second most appearances in the Championship, if he plays. Italy’s Sergio Parisse (69) tops the charts for the most Guinness Men’s Six Nations appearances.
Previous results
2024: Ireland won 31-7 in Dublin
2023: Ireland won 34-10 in Cardiff
2022: Ireland won 29-7 in Dublin
2021: Wales won 21-16 in Cardiff
2020: Ireland won 32-9 in Dublin
2020: Ireland won 24-14 in Dublin
2019: Ireland won 19-10 in Dublin
2019: Ireland won 22-17 in Cardiff
2019: Wales won 25-7 in Cardiff
2018: Ireland won 37-27 in Dublin
The teams
Wales: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau , 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Jac Morgan (c), 5 Dafydd Jenkins, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 WillGriff John, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Evan Lloyd, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Teddy Williams, 20 Aaron Wainwright, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Joe Roberts
Ireland: 15 Jamie Osborne, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Tadhg Beirne, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 2 Dan Sheehan (c), 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Jack Boyle, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 James Ryan, 20 Cian Prendergast, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Jack Crowley, 23 Bundee Aki
Date: Saturday, February 22
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 14:15 GMT
Referee: Christophe Ridley (England)
Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
