Shane Williams’ column: Can Welsh half-backs rival Irish brilliance?

Warren Gatland faces one of the biggest tactical challenges of his reign with Wales against an Ireland side that have not just mastered the choke-tackle – but the choke-game.
What has struck me in the opening three rounds of the Six Nations is how Ireland have stuck to their game-plan.
Their mastermind Joe Schmidt decides the tactics at the start of the week and it doesn’t matter who they play or what happens in games, the players stick to it. They are like Pritt stick.
The biggest threat to Wales is how Ireland choke the life out of teams.
They are strong in defence, keep their discipline and have a fantastic kicking game. Slowly and steadily suffocate opposition into conceding penalties and manipulate them into playing the game they want. From that perspective, the performance against England was a tactical master-class.
So Wales must do everything they can not to get dragged into playing Ireland’s way. Scotland tried it at Murrayfield. They tried to stop Wales playing and unleashing the likes of Jamie Roberts, Alex Cuthbert and Jonathan Davies and, to an extent, it worked.
Wales must dominate the breakdown and that is where guys like Sam Warburton, Gethin Jenkins and Taulupe Faletau are going to be so important. Otherwise it is going to be a very long day next Saturday.
Many people will see the way Ireland play as negative. But right now, it is damned effective as TEN successive wins proves. That has sparked plenty of debate over the game in the Northern Hemisphere and whether it is entertaining.
My old coach Steve Hansen certainly had plenty to say about how ‘negative’ the Six Nations had been so far and was a ‘turn-off’ for fans. And to some extent, I have to agree.
This is certainly not the international game I played but it is easy to see why it has happened.
Teams are now obsessed with defence and winning the arm-wrestle. It has become about piling on as much pressure as possible and hoping to force a mistake or penalty before, possibly, sneaking a try late on.
Rugby is now far more direct, it’s about making metres and, at times, looks more like Rugby League. That should hardly come as a surprise given the influx of talent from the 13-a-side code.
Union – at Test level at least – is people running head-long into each-other and looking for contact, rather than for a gap. For a former winger like me, it doesn’t make for pretty viewing.
When I first retired from Test rugby, I remember watching the games and wondering if this was how we played when I was there. It wasn’t.
Hansen wants his teams to play in a certain style and for him to come out with these comments while the All Blacks are winning everything…well, that’s Steve.
However in defence of the Six Nations, it is still the best rugby tournament in the world and I have thoroughly enjoyed this season so far.
Every game has been massively competitive, games are on an edge and the tournament as a whole is rarely decided before the final day.
Also there is still nothing else that compares to Six Nations day in Cardiff or Dublin or any of the six European capitals. For a fan – and a player – it is a unique experience.
Attack coaches are now having to find a way to counter the influence of the likes of Andy Farrell and Shaun Edwards and that is where the kicking game comes in.
It has become a vital weapon these days, be it with a cross-field kick or a little chip over the top. Either way, it keeps defences guessing and is helping to carve open a crack in defences that are getting tougher all the time.
We always say games are won and lost up front. But the battle next week between Webb/Biggar and Murray/Sexton will be just as decisive.
Also there is still nothing else that compares to Six Nations day in Cardiff or Dublin or any of the six European capitals. For a fan – and a player – it is a unique experience.
Attack coaches are now having to find a way to counter the influence of the likes of Andy Farrell and Shaun Edwards and that is where the kicking game comes in.
It has become a vital weapon these days, be it with a cross-field kick or a little chip over the top. Either way, it keeps defences guessing and is helping to carve open a crack in defences that are getting tougher all the time.
We always say games are won and lost up front. But the battle next week between Webb/Biggar and Murray/Sexton will be just as decisive.