Bogey man is back again
The Wales scrum-half landed two killer blows on Ireland last year. First, he scored the controversial match-winning try to end Ireland’s 2011 Six Nations hopes in March.
Then seven-months later he pounced for the decisive touchdown as Wales dumped the men in green out of the World Cup.
Phillips returns again as the Celtic cousins clash for the first time since his twin triumphs and he is determined to ignite the Dragons’ new Six Nations campaign.
“Ireland won’t be happy that we’ve won the last few games between us but we have to take confidence from that,” Phillips said.
“They’re a very good side and, with the great individual players they have, I know I have to be at my best.
“The first one is always a massive game and we know if we can win this, it can create momentum for the remainder of the Championship. We will do everything in our power to go out there and get the result.”
The former Osprey, now plying his trade in France’s Top 14 with Bayonne, became public enemy number one in Ireland following his wrongly-awarded try in last season’s Championship.
Phillips scored after Matthew Rees took a quick-throw with the wrong match ball, directly contravening Rule 19.2d of the IRB regulations.
But the World Cup star admitted he would bend the laws again if the opportunity arose and aims to complete his Irish hat-trick tomorrow.
“I enjoy playing against Ireland. Looking back to last year, I genuinely thought it was the right ball and I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing again.
“I thought Smiler [Rees] had the correct ball so I had a crack and the try was given. I’ve been on the wrong end of some decisions — that’s just sport. You have to ride your luck, sometimes you have good luck and fortunately that day was a good one for us.
“I scored another against Ireland at the World Cup and as a tournament that could not have gone much better for me. That try was memorable but the one the next week against France was even better!
“We were superb in that quarter-final and made very few errors — only three handling errors in total. The defence, to a man, was also spot on and everyone performed. We will need to produce something similar to win out in Dublin.”
Wales were heralded as the home nations’ success story at the World Cup and enter the Championship under a weight of expectation. But despite reaching the semi-finals, Phillips has fired a warning shot, insisting Wales are just as unhappy as Ireland and are determined to release their frustrations in Dublin.
“The World Cup was disappointing,” Phillips said.
“Everyone goes on about how good it was, which to an extent is correct, but at the same time we were a couple of minutes and a single point away from a World Cup final.
“It was really frustrating, we went out there to win it, not come fourth.
“This campaign is all about letting those frustrations out, beginning on Sunday.”
Wales are without five players who started last October’s clash with Ireland following Shane Williams’ retirement and injuries to Gethin Jenkins, Luke Charteris, Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Lydiate. But star duo Rhys Priestland and Jamie Roberts passed late fitness tests after struggling with knee injuries.
Cardiff wing Alex Cuthbert has the unenviable task of filling Williams’ illustrious boots and is a polar-opposite, standing at 6ft 6ins and weighing more than 16 stone.
Saracens prop Rhys Gill also makes his first start since Ireland’s 2010 victory at Croke Park.
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