Preview: No lack of incentive as Ireland bid to add to Wales woe

A Triple Crown, keeping the Grand Slam alive, the bonus of playing for an unprecedented three-in-a-row of Six Nations titles, Ireland will not lack for motivation.

Boy, has this game come at the wrong time for Wales. The hosts' problems, however, are of no concern to Ireland.

Simon Easterby's mission, compared to the task ahead for Wales, is simple.

Impressive wins over England and Scotland have set Ireland up for a Triple Crown at the Principality Stadium (2.15pm) and on the face of it, it's a foregone conclusion.

Irish fans' high hopes are the opposite of their counterparts, who must try to lift their team after 14 consecutive losses.

They have lost their last three in a row against Ireland, never getting to within 20 points come the final whistle.

Since winning the championship in 2021, Wales have been on a steady downward trajectory, finishing fifth twice and wooden spoonists last season.

Ireland, meanwhile, since the year of Wales' last victory in this fixture, in 2021, were runners-up and then back-to-back champions.

Whatever glitch - at the time concerning - that appeared in the matrix in the latter stages of last year's Six Nations and the autumn, has self-resolved. Ireland - two bonus-point wins, contests over coming into the final quarter - are purring.

The ability of the players and coaches to completely shut out the outside noise in the lead-up to the Murrayfield match was impressive.

The narrative that 'Scotland were due a win' was more in the heads of the Scottish players than the Irish, who just went out and did their job.

A similar approach under the closed roof, even with seven changes to the starting team and without injured captain Caelan Doris, should be enough to set Ireland up for a round-four blockbuster