Old foes to open new chapter when Paul O’Connell pitches up in Cardiff

Wayne Pivac: The Wales coach is determined to negate Ireland’s strengths.

Alun Wyn Jones knows what Paul O’Connell will bring to Cardiff next week.

The pair crossed paths for more than 10 years in the second row, whether that was with their clubs or their countries. Add to that the shared highs and hardships with the Lions in 2009 and 2013 when they started two tests together, in Durban and Brisbane.

The Welshman could have been forgiven for thinking he had seen the last of O’Connell given the Irishman’s playing career ended in 2015 and the fact that his own has to turn into the final bend sooner rather than later at the age of 35 and after 152 test caps.

Not so. When Wales host Ireland in the Principality Stadium next Sunday week, Jones will be every bit as central to home hopes as he has been for most of the last 15 years and O’Connell will be looking on as forwards coach from the visitors’ box.

“It will be interesting to see, won’t it?” said Jones when asked for his thoughts on his old foe’s new role. “It will depend on how much time he has, but obviously people ask me about competitors who are respected and Paul is definitely one of those.”

Ireland had Wales’ number twice last year as Wayne Pivac, his coaching staff and the players adapted to their new collective after the Kiwi succeeded the long-serving Warren Gatland as head coach. If O’Connell will make Ireland better then it’s reasonable to assume Wales will have kicked on too.

For starters, Pivac has a number of key players back in camp after various injury issues.

Josh Navidi, Ken Owens and the skipper himself are among the notables looking to put recent fitness issues behind them and inject some energy and belief into an outfit whose only test wins in 2020 were against Italy (twice) and Georgia. Reversing their recent fortunes against Ireland would be a statement start.

“We understand the importance of the game,” said Pivac. “We know Ireland’s strengths, it’s about negating that. It’s about bringing a lot of physicality ourselves to the game and making sure that we’re able to do that over 80 minutes.”

Wales’s regression was astonishing last term. A side that finished 2019 as Grand Slam champions and World Cup semi-finalists sat fifth by the end of the delayed Six Nations and Pivac is wary of making public any goals for the forthcoming campaign.

Implementing a new game plan clearly had its effect while Pivac suggested that the lack of top-end European club rugby for his players, compared to that banked by English, Irish and French counterparts, had an impact on fitness levels already depleted by the first lockdown.

Disruptions extended still further with the unavailability of the Principality last autumn due to its use as a Covid-19 testing site but Wales will return to Cardiff for the Six Nations after their temporary, and largely unhappy, residence in Llanelli where they lost their two big games to Scotland and England.

The famous stadium in the heart of the Welsh capital will remain empty —and there is a case to be made that the Welsh feed off their home crowd more than any other in this tournament — but Pivac believes the return to familiar surroundings will be a boon.

“From a professional point of view, our prep will be back to normal,” his captain added. “It’s going to be nice to go back to the Principality Stadium. It’s where I like to play rugby for Wales, for obvious reasons. Don’t ask me if I want the roof open or closed: I just want to be back in Cardiff!”