Follow the latest updates live from the Rugby World Cup warm-up clash between Wales and Ireland at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Despite their heavy defeat against England last weekend, Ireland have the chance to go top of the World Rugby rankings if they can beat Warren Gatland’s Wales side today – in what is the Kiwi coach’s final game in charge of the Welsh side in Cardiff.
Both sides have selected heavily-changed teams from their last outings, with a number of fringe players getting the chance to shine ahead of their final squad announcements next week. Follow the live updates below.
Hello and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's World Cup warm-up clash between Wales and Ireland.
We'll be bringing you all the build-up, minute-by-minute updates as well as reaction from the Principality Stadium, so make sure to stick around!
So, what to make of today? With the World Cup on the horizon, both head coaches have rung the changes as they look to sure up their squads for Japan.
Warren Gatland has made 14 changes to the side that beat England while counterpart Joe Schmidt has made 11 changes from last weekend’s Twickenham humiliation.
From an Irish perspective, much of today’s focus will be on the set-piece, with Ireland notably struggling at the line-out and in the scrum during the record 57-15 defeat suffered at the hands of the English. With a number of selection matters to take into consideration as well, notably across the back row, there’s plenty of food for thought for Schmidt and his staff today.
For Wales, it’s a chance for the side’s younger, less experienced individuals to stake a claim.
All eyes will be fixed on fly-half Jarrod Evans who makes his first Test start today. Although the 23-year-old lacks international experience, he more than makes up for it with his tenacity. A firecracker of a player, Evans has thrilled for Cardiff Blues, with his pace, quick-thinking and smooth distribution unlocking many defences during his time with the club. He's facing competition from Rhys Patchell to join Dan Biggar on the plane to Japan.
Winger Owen Lane and prop Rhys Carre are two more to consider, with both men making their Test debuts this afternoon.
UPDATE: Aaron Wainwright replaces Ross Moriarty on the bench for Wales. The flanker aggravated his hip in training, though it's currently unclear how serious the issue is.
What's been said ahead of this afternoon's clash?
Well, Warren Gatland hasn't been mincing his words. The Welsh head coach got straight to the point when he said that the Irish are "under enormous pressure" in the wake of the Twickenham defeat. The Kiwi also seemingly suggested that a number of Ireland's players are over the hill.
"I was surprised by the Ireland result," he said this week. "They are under an enormous amount of pressure back home with a lot of criticism, given that they haven't progressed in World Cups further than they probably would have expected.
"There are a lot of doubts in the coaches' minds about who their best players are - some of their players are getting a bit older - is it a time to put some of the youngsters in?"
Shots. Fired.
As for Joe Schmidt, the Ireland head coach admitted that the defeat by England had been “unacceptable”. It was an uncharacteristically poor display from the Irish, who struggled to deal with the physicality of the England across all areas of the pitch as they leaked a total of eight tries at Twickenham.
"It's an unacceptable result for us, it's a performance beneath where we'd like and beneath where we need to be," Schmidt said this week. "The whole group are very conscious that we have a short period of time to accelerate what is part of a progression.
"We looked flat, we looked slow and we didn't adjust and probably didn't take some opportunities that were available, but to throw everything out would be a mistake.”
On the topic of Evans vs Patchell, here's what the Blues No 10 had to say ahead of today's match.
"My sole focus is the game and how I can get the team to perform to the best that they can and how I can get my individual game on the money as well," Evans said.
"We have a strategy of how we want to go about this game, and that will be my sole focus, and take care of Sunday when it comes along.
"It is just trying to perform the best you can and putting your best foot forward. That's all you can do.
"You have got to do what is best for the side. We have always been team first, whatever is best for the team, and anything after that is a bonus."
A reminder that Gatland will name his Japan squad tomorrow afternoon. The Wales boss and his fellow coaches will go into a selection meeting following this afternoon's game. As someone who missed out a World Cup as a player, Gatland has said he knows what the pain of omission feels like.
"It's tough because I know first-hand what it's like to miss out on a World Cup," he said. "In 1991, I had been involved with the All Blacks and we had just come back from an undefeated tour of Argentina which I had been involved in.
"A couple of months later we came back and I wasn't selected in the squad. I know how disappointed those players who aren't selected are going to be."
He added that "probably 23 or 24" players are currently pencilled in, with Ireland's visit the last chance for some individuals to impress the head coach.
Oh, and another thing to consider. In what is likely to raise many an eyebrow, Ireland can move top of the world rankings with a win over Wales today. To do so, Schmidt’s men need to win by more than 15 points. But for a side that has lost two of their last three international Tests, it’s somewhat of an understatement to say the Irish are hardly deserving of such a label.
World Rugby vice-president Agustin Pichot has been forthcoming in his opinion about the merit, or lack thereof, of the mathematical system that determines the rankings. "It’s ridiculous! I’m going to change it," Pichot recently said. "It is a ranking that is badly done. It has no order.
"It is all mathematical and I would say that it is almost a matter of marketing."
Last week’s defeat at Twickenham showed that teams now know how to get under Ireland’s skin. Up the physicality, apply the pressure at the breakdown and set piece, and rush them when out of possession - these are just a few of the tactics deployed by the English, with the effects utterly devastating.
Having looked so dominant throughout 2018, raising hope of a first World Cup win, the Irish have since stuttered. This dip in form is coming at the worst possible time. However, win this double-header against the Welsh and Joe Schmidt’s side will head to Japan with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose. Today’s mix-and-match team have a lot to prove - both to their coach and an expectant nation.
Just under 15 minutes until kick-off! A reminder that this will be Warren Gatland's final home match in charge before he steps down as head coach after Japan.
The atmosphere here at the Principality is coming along nicely as a stirring rendition of ‘Cwm Rhondda’ (Bread of Heaven) rings out. The roof is on too. This should be cracking afternoon of rugby.
The players are out - time for the national anthems. Just under five minutes to go.
Anthems done! Here we go, folks!
KICK-OFF! Jarrod Evans gets the match under way, sending it deep to the left.
1 min - Wales 0-0 Ireland: First line-out of the match for Wales. It's sent to Beard but the lock flaps at it and the Irish are there to pounce on the loose ball.
3 min - Wales 0-0 Ireland: Lane and Stockdale go head to head for a high ball, with neither player managing to get hold of possession. The ball pops out from between them before the ref points for a Welsh scrum.
6 min - Wales 0-0 Ireland: Wales are taking it through the motions inside Ireland's half before Davies spots a gap from off a ruck. He makes his break but is quickly wrapped up by the Irish defence and held up. Scrum to Ireland.
7 min - Wales 0-0 Ireland: The visitors force the penalty before kicking into touch for a line-out near the half-way line. It's quickly recycled, with Stockdale eventually crashing into a wall of red.
The ref blows his whistle. Wales were off their feet at the breakdown by the looks of it. Penalty to Ireland.
8 min - Wales 0-3 Ireland: Jack Carty converts. The Irish lead.
When is it?
Wales v Ireland kicks off at 2.30pm on Saturday 31 August.
Where can I watch it?
Channel 4 will show the game live. Coverage starts at 2 pm.
Head to head
- Wales 25-7 Ireland, 2019 Six Nations
- Ireland 37-27 Wales, 2018 Six Nations
- Wales 22-9 Ireland, 2017 Six Nations
- Ireland 16-16 Wales, 2016 Six Nations
- Ireland 10-16 Wales, 2015 RWC warm-up Test
Team news
Wales: Amos; Lane, Williams, Watkin, Steff Evans; Jarrod Evans, Aled Davies; Carre, Elias, Lee, Beard, Bradley Davies, Shingler, Navidi (capt), James Davies.
Replacements: Dee, Rob Evans, Brown, Ball, Moriarty, Williams, Patchell, Holmes.
Ireland: Addison; Stockdale, Aki, Farrell, Conway; Marmion, Carty; Kilcoyne, Scannell, John Ryan, Henderson, James Ryan, Beirne, O’Mahony (capt), Conan.
Replacements: Best, Porter, Furlong, Toner, Murphy, McGrath, Ringrose, Kearney.
Odds
Wales 4/11
Draw 20/1
Ireland 23/10
