Rory Best banks on green giant Paul O’Connell to deliver

Saturday’s siege will come from all angles but amidst all the chaos and carnage that Cardiff will deliver Rory Best knows that Paul O’Connell will lead Ireland’s ground offensive just as he has 99 times before.

The man who has captained Munster, Ireland and the Lions will wear the green jersey for the 100th time this weekend (to add to his seven Lions caps) but the honour will come in hostile circumstances.

The Welsh crowd packs so tightly into the Millennium Stadium that they sit within an arm’s reach of the pitch, this weekend’s referee is Wayne Barnes who hasn’t been too kind to Ireland of late and on top of that Warren Gatland has his troops believing they can win their fourth championship in eight years on points difference.

But Best believes that even at the age of 35 it is a scenario for which O’Connell is perfectly equipped. “He still expects his body and mind to take him to places that he went to when he was 23, 24,” explained Best.

“I think that’s the nature of the man, he doesn’t expect you to take a backward step because he won’t take one. In terms of all of that he hasn’t changed an awful lot, he still expects unbelievably high standards.

“He is a fantastic ambassador for Irish rugby, we are very lucky as a country to have him as our captain and as a player. I think as a player you feel unbelievably privileged to play alongside him.”

But it will not just be O’Connell the warrior that Ireland will need among the bedlam in Wales, the country will depend upon the Limerick man’s diplomacy skills, too.

Barnes, holding the whistle in place of New Zealander Steve Walsh who has ‘business commitments’, has flashed five yellow cards in the previous five Ireland games he has been in charge of and Best is urging caution.

“He definitely penalises if you infringe and if you infringe consistently he is not afraid to go to his pocket, both teams would be fully aware of it,” added the Ulster hooker.

“I think the big thing is that if you get into niggly stuff, if you start to get him frustrated with the game then of course he is going to get frustrated and you are going to get yellow cards.”

The crowd, he insists, can create a momentum for Wales to plug into but a tactic to help lower their volume usually involves keeping the Millennium Stadium’s roof open.

The Irish management will monitor the weather reports and wait until 7pm on Thursday to decide on whether to keep the roof open.