Game Of The Championship

The biggest game of this years six nations lands in Dublin this weekend as the Welsh come to town. It is always a game which provides many a talking point, and in the last few years this fixture has provided some outstanding clashes. It has thrown up moments that rugby fans will not forget. 2011 was the year of the Mike Phillips try with the wrong ball, 2012, the controversial penalty for Leigh Halfpenny to win the game in the last minute. Last year in the first half we saw how poor Wales can be and then how good they can be in the second half. So who will create the memories this time around?

Ireland are looking good under Joe Schmidt, looking to play some rugby and they are playing it in his Leinster mould. They are good to watch but how effective will it be against a world class international defence. It worked against the fragile Scots, but with Sam Warburton back to partner Dan Lydiate in the back row the Welsh defence will be formidable.

However, Ireland have in their ranks the ideal man to break down the Welsh wall. In Johnny Sexton they have the Northern Hemisphere's best outside half, he would walk into most teams in the world. Under Schmidt he seems to have regained his best form because he knows the plays from his days at Leinster. He looks comfortable and in that environment he will flourish, the Welsh will have to rattle him early and put him out of his stride if they are to stand a chance in Dublin.

There are of course many subplots that we will hear again and again as the game builds towards kickoff on Saturday. The Brian O'Driscoll affair will not go away and it has been brought up once more. Warren Gatlan Italian game, calling it "lazy journalism" to run that story. He has however, perhaps will the column writers in mind, chosen to leave Jonathan Davies out of the match day squad although he played for the Scarlets last weekend. Gatland is trying to avoid the mass attention that the 13 on 13 battle between Davies and O'Driscoll would have got.

If Ireland have players that can unlock a defence, then Wales surely have players who can do the same. They do, George North being one, I would like to see him coming off his wing more and running hard at players. He is an incredibly talented player who Wales need to get on the ball as much as possible. It was in this fixture two years ago that he came inside, took two tacklers out, before a beautiful offload to Jonathan Davies who scored. That is what he is capable of but Wales need to create the platform for him to work from. Wales cannot do what they have been doing of late and were often guilty of doing with Shane Williams in his prime. They often ran out of ideas and gave the ball to Williams to see what he could do, we're now doing that with North, he needs a platform not even he can beat people from a standing start.

It will be feisty, intense and entertaining. Everything you could want from the six nations, I can guarantee that much. In terms of the winner, I can't say, these games are always tight and come down to that one moment. It will come down to which player wants to create the memories this year, and will they be green or red?