Johnny Sexton v Dan Biggar as crowds return – Ireland-Wales talking points

Ireland and Wales will kick off this season’s Guinness Six Nations Championship in Dublin on Saturday.

The tournament opener sees a return of crowds after last year’s competition took place behind-closed-doors due to coronavirus restrictions.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points heading into the Aviva Stadium clash.

Two Test rugby titans of the northern hemisphere game will go head to head as fly-halves and captains. Johnny Sexton leads Ireland’s quest for a first Six Nations title since 2018, while Dan Biggar – who has succeeded an injured Alun Wyn Jones as skipper – is charged with spearheading Wales’ bid for back-to-back silverware. Between them, they have won 196 caps and amassed almost 1,500 points for their countries, continuing to excel at the highest level of a sport where their tactical, playmaking and goal-kicking qualities rarely wane.

In Tadhg Furlong, Ireland possess arguably the world’s finest tighthead prop. A destructive scrummager and set-piece tactician, the Leinster forward forms part of a powerful front-row alongside Andrew Porter and Ronan Kelleher. Furlong’s scrum contest with Wales loosehead and his fellow British and Irish Lion Wyn Jones should prove an important sub-plot of Saturday’s showdown. Wales’ scrum has had its fair share of difficulties in recent months, but head coach Wayne Pivac said: “We have worked hard on that area and hope to make good improvements.”

After winning all of his 35 Wales caps as a wing and scoring 17 tries, Adams has been switched to outside centre for Wales’ Six Nations opener. He would have played in that position against Autumn Nations Series opponents Fiji nearly three months ago, but he pulled put injured after the warm-up. George North