For Ireland, Wales is a more rigorous examination than England

Ronan O’Gara says the preparation Ireland is taking for what lies ahead is not to be snubbed.

I watched Ireland’s training session last Monday in Dublin after they’d beaten France. If you are conjuring up this notion of a gentle shake-it-out-of-the-legs session, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Joe Schmidt has everyone eating grass. He has Cian Healy reeling in Jack McGrath, Niall Scannell getting game time off Rory Best, Peter O’Mahony desperate for a start to stake his Lions claims. It goes on. The work-rate and diligence of Henshaw and Ringrose is immense.