Wales legend ‘worried’ ahead of clash with ‘once in a generation’ Ireland team

Former Wales international centre Tom Shanklin has hailed Ireland as a “once in a generation team” ahead of their Six Nations fixture in Dublin next weekend.

Two sides with contrasting results in the first two rounds of the Championship will collide at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday when the Irish play host to the Welsh.

Andy Farrell’s men have 10 points from 10 so far after back-to-back maximum hauls, while Wales have lost both matches, albeit narrowly to Scotland and England.

Worried for Wales

Despite putting in a couple of solid performances in defeat, Shanklin is concerned that Wales could be set for a difficult afternoon in the Six Nations next weekend.

“I am worried because you’re playing against one of the best teams in the world, if not the best team,” he admitted while doing punditry for BBC Wales Scrum V.

“They are a team that would have had two weeks rest as well. A team that are unbeaten at the moment, and we’re going there not full of confidence against probably a once-in-a-generation team.”

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Ireland proved last weekend that they are able to punish sides not at their standards, with Italy given a 36-0 hiding that could, in all honesty, have been much worse.

Former Cardiff, Wales, and British & Irish Lions centre Shanklin continued that he is hugely impressed with how the Irish are coached and also their anthem singer.

“I am a little bit worried because they’re just so good. They’re so well drilled, and they’ve got a little kid who sings the anthem, who is better than anything I’ve ever seen,” he joked, referencing the eight-year-old Stevie Mulrooney’s stunning rendition of Ireland’s Call moments before the match against the Azzurri.

Shanklin’s concerns come in the same week that Wales great Shane Williams expressed his own fears for Warren Gatland’s men at the hands of the 2023 champions.

“I’m fearful of this game, I really am. I’m hugely impressed by how Ireland are playing the game. Even on Sunday, although Italy didn’t score a point, they didn’t play poorly,” he told the Evening Standard Rugby Podcast.

Similar treatment?

“I thought they had a real go, I thought they kept the ball really well, they were just massively frustrated by a well-organised defence.

“Even in attack, Ireland had to work really hard for their tries; it wasn’t as if they were scoring 70 or 80-yarders untouched.

“They’re going to play through 20 phases plus, that’s how they do it. They grind you down, get lineouts five metres from the line.

“They made Italy look quite poor, but I was quite impressed by Italy, so it may be the same thing for Wales up there.”

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