Andy Farrell has both invited, indeed, welcomed, adversity from the outset of the championship but even he couldn’t have anticipated the magnitude of the barriers placed in Ireland’s way

The team with the mental capacity to deal with key issues as they arise in games, to absorb setbacks and seize opportunities, most often emerge on top

The experience bagged from three successive tests against the All Blacks has proved transformative to this Irish set up.

Garry Ringrose has been excellent for club and country all season.

Andy Farrell’s much depleted squad has delivered a full house in this championship so far.

From Pontypool's granite front row to the magic of Bennett and Edwards, the way Welsh rugby used to be only makes the present crisis all the more miserable.

There's nothing between the top sides in a tournament that is the envy of the rest of the rugby world. 

Never before have the number one and two ranked sides in World Rugby met in a Six Nations contest

Expect a reaction from Les Bleus in Dublin this weekend. 

The impressive broken field running of restored full back Liam Williams opened Ireland up and if Wales had been more clinical from attacking line outs they might have stressed Ireland a bit more in a spirited second-half fightback.