Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones refused to get drawn into a discussion about the criticism his team have received as they stand only one game away from a potential Grand Slam.
Bonus point wins over Scotland, England and Italy, with another victory over Ireland at the start of the championship, have put Wales in pole position heading into the final weekend.
They stand nine points clear of France - who have a postponed game against Scotland in hand - and are the only team that can complete the clean sweep.
However, earlier this week, a national newspaper proclaimed that Wayne Pivac's side would be the worst Grand Slammers in 30 years if they go ahead and complete the job.
When that criticism was put to skipper Jones, he was not interested.
"I’ve got no comment on that," he said.
When asked if it served as extra motivation, he repeated: "I’ve got no comment on that."
The issue was also raised with head coach Wayne Pivac at his press conference yesterday and he too was reluctant to give his opinion on the perception of his side.
"The team is very focused and they’ve worked very hard. As you’ve seen throughout the tournament, we’ve built as we’ve gone," said Pivac.
"You don’t become a perfect team overnight, it takes time and we’re nowhere near perfect – we know that. We’ve got our own motivation.
"With the amount of guys that have been in this position before, it’s not new to them. They’re very focused on an 80 minute performance this week without worrying about any external motivation."
Looking ahead to the weekend's match, Jones added: “The privilege and sense of pride we have in representing Wales has been accentuated by the off-field situation that’s going on.
“I as an individual, and the team, have not needed reminding of what everyone is facing and what we are representing.
"It’s more frustrating for the fans (than us) now, especially when you do have a decent spell.
"The people you do come in contact with are probably more animated and excited than they would be anyway. It’s definitely felt.
"At the Vale there are a few guys relaying the driveway and there’s an army of them relaying the track – you could see the excitement in their faces as they waved us off.
"It’s definitely not lost on us."
