Big Ireland calls at centre, back three and on the bench

The latest Six Nations campaign has crept up on us, and Cardiff will be the venue as Ireland try and pick up where they left off in the Autumn internationals.

The Welsh approach will be difficult to analyse, considering Warren Gatland is back in the fold as their head coach, this time with a different coaching staff.

The New Zealander will know how to turn things around quickly for Wales, but he's also under desperate pressure to achieve that in a short space of time.

That will be outside noise for Andy Farrell and his coaching team, where the focus will be primarily on themselves in a World Cup year.

Ireland will have to focus on themselves, which I’m sure will be the aim heading into a Six Nations campaign in a World Cup year.

For all of Ireland's recent consistency, there are still some big calls around his match-day 23.

Tadhg Furlong's return from injury is a huge boon, highlighted by Leinster's difficulties in the scrum of late. Farrell will want his starting tighthead ready to go for a physical challenge away from home, but considering how important he is, and that he hasn’t played any rugby since December, it will be all about game management.

Connacht's Finlay Bealham will be Furlong's understudy, coming into Irish camp off the back of a player of the match performance with a hat-trick of tries in the Challenge Cup against Newcastle.

Considering the recent news of Rónan Kelleher’s injury, the hooker position is now a bit more straight forward.

Dan Sheehan will start with Rob Herring on the bench. Tom Stewart, who has reduced Herring’s minutes in Ulster, has been called up, but the South African's set-piece and experience is likely to be decisive.

The second row will be hugely competitive but Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan are