Joe Schmidt questions why Warren Gatland opinion given such ‘credence’

Joe Schmidt has come out swinging against critics of Ireland’s attack gameplan by rounding on Wales rival Warren Gatland’s jibes of more than two years ago.

Schmidt and Gatland are set to lock horns again tomorrow, when Ireland’s NatWest 6 Nations title bid faces its toughest test yet against the Welsh at the Aviva Stadium.

The home side’s difficulties against their Celtic cousins, having not won a competitive fixture against them since the 2014 championship, have prompted questions about Ireland’s perceived predictability and lack of width.