Weight of expectation lies heavy on Welsh shoulders

IF Wales can cope with the almost intolerable pressure facing them in today’s crunch game at the Millennium Stadium, the chances are they will achieve their burning ambition by completing the Grand Slam and the Triple Crown.

However, it’s a big if. Just as several Irishmen discovered last week, the sense of expectation can be so great as to render players of high quality virtually ineffectual.

One of the most salient of the countless pre-match comments yesterday came from the former great Welsh wing Ieuan Evans who noted: “A lot will depend on how Wales handle the weight of expectation. Mike Ruddock has done a great job in deflecting the outside pressures and has an important job in keeping the players’ feet on the ground.

“Ireland haven’t lost on Welsh soil in 22 years and it would be great to end that and win a first Grand Slam since 1978. But our players are under an awful lot of pressure.”

True, Wales have been equal to all demands so far this campaign, not least when recovering from a seemingly impossible situation against France in Paris and they coped more than adequately with the hapless Italians and Scots.

But that success could come at a price this afternoon, with just about every Welshman and woman firmly of the belief that they have another super side that only has to turn up to emulate the memorable feats of JPR, Barry, Gareth, Merv and the rest from the golden 70s.

The truth is that the Welsh are deluding themselves into thinking they have a side of similar quality. Events may well prove otherwise but I doubt if any row of the Welsh scrum measures up to the standards of their illustrious predecessors and for sure they don’t have a back division of the calibre of the 70s side.

Which is not to say there isn’t quality in this Welsh side.

Number 7 Martyn Williams looks a shoo-in for the Lions Test place and was especially inspirational in the amazing rally that overpowered France. Michael Owen and Ryan Jones complete a fine back-row, one that will outplay their direct Irish counterparts if the latter perform to the same level of mediocrity that marked the display against France last week.

That may well be the end of the good news for Wales. You can’t see Brent Cockbain and Robert Sidoli getting any change out of Paul O’Connell and Malcolm O’Kelly, even if the Irish duo do need to step up on their performance against the French. And even if the Irish front-row hasn’t been setting the world alight, the Welsh won’t present Reggie Corrigan, Shane Byrne and John Hayes with anything like the same challenge as they met seven days ago.

To be fair, the Welsh backs have played some great rugby, with Shane Williams on the left wing a real live-wire and Dwayne Peel and Stephen Jones performing well enough to suggest they will form the Lions’ Test half-back partnership in New Zealand. Nevertheless, I can see no reason why man-for-man, Ireland shouldn’t hold the edge behind the scrum, although for that to happen Geordan Murphy must improve appreciably on his poor display last week.

Furthermore, Kevin Maggs looks a spent force at this level, while I’ll take an awful lot of convincing that Girvan Dempsey is related to an international wing. On the plus side is the potential of Brian O’Driscoll to win the match almost on his own and of half-backs Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer to turn in the high-class performance of which they are capable.

There is, of course, another side to this particular coin. Whereas the Welsh are full of beans and confidence after slaughtering the Scots, the Irish have to be on something of a downer after failing so disappointingly against France. Can they pick themselves up? All the talk has been about the consolation of the Triple Crown and a possible championship but the Slam was what counted and that dream has been shattered.

Will the consolation prize be enough to spur them to maintain the remarkable record of not having lost in Cardiff since 1983? Brian O’Driscoll, an individual who can definitely be the difference between the two sides, believes there remains plenty of incentive for his men.

“To be defeated the way we were was very deflating but we didn’t become a bad side overnight”, he reasoned. “Knowing the boys as I do, I fully expect them to bounce back and put in a really good performance. I’ve been impressed with Wales but it’s the final step for them and they have to deal with that aspect of the challenge.” Indeed. And isn’t that where we come in?