Ireland vs Wales: Paul O’Connell says Ireland are focused on their performance

The 2023 win over Italy in Rome was the last time Wales enjoyed the feeling of a Six Nations win, and while expectations of their losing streak ending in Dublin on Friday are thin on the ground, Ireland striker coach Paul O’Connell insists “we are not exposing ourselves” to such rhetoric.

It has certainly been another difficult season for the Welsh who have been beaten in the last two tournaments, while they look like favorites to win a third successive wooden spoon after three defeats in their opening matches this year.

However, O’Connell does not believe the outlook is as bleak for Steve Tandy’s side as some had predicted, refusing to downplay the chances of their visitors who were minutes away from beating Scotland in their last outing.

However, the Irish approach remains the same: less concerned with what the opposition might bring and more concerned with being “motivated to do our job”.

“We definitely focus on the opponent, but less than we did in my playing days,” the former Ireland captain told reporters on Tuesday.

He added: “There is real excitement about the way we will play and perform, but having said that, Wales have excellent players and athletes, and really good coaches.

“You’ve seen hints of that over the last few months and I think Wales will improve, but for us, it’s about our performance.

“We expect a tough match, but we want to see ourselves getting better at what we do.”