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The 'jealousy' factor driving Wales in Grand Slam decider

George North celebrates a try in Paris

Warren Gatland readily accepts there is “added spice” when Wales play Ireland as he looks to sign off in the Six Nations with a title and Grand Slam.

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Both teams, who meet in Cardiff on Saturday, are chasing silverware – along with England – as this season’s tournament builds towards a thrilling conclusion.

But Wales have control, knowing that victory over Ireland would secure a third Grand Slam of Gatland’s reign and see them crowned champions for the first time since 2013.

It will be former Ireland boss Gatland’s final Six Nations Test as Wales head coach, and he is relishing the high-octane occasion that will inevitably unfold.

“I think the added spice is that with the PRO14, the players know each other,” Gatland said.

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“We respect them hugely for what they have achieved. They are number two in the world, and their provinces have had a lot of success in the PRO14 and in Europe, and sometimes it can breed a jealousy.

“You respect them, but you are desperate to want to beat them. That sometimes creates the edge. A lot of it stems from that.

“They have been incredibly successful. I take my hat off to their provincial rugby and what they have achieved in Europe, the PRO14 and what the national team has done. We have got to strive to do that.

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 Jacob Stockdale of Ireland and Leigh Halfpenny of Wales  (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

“For our group of players I know they get incredibly motivated to play against Ireland, as they want to beat them because a lot of them have been on the losing end on a number of occasions, particularly to their provincial teams.”

Wales’ tense 18-11 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield has set up their latest Grand Slam tilt, and Gatland will become the first coach in Five or Six Nations history to mastermind a clean sweep three times if his players pull it off.

“If we do that it would be unbelievable,” Gatland added.

“I have had ten Six Nations, and when I look back I am proud of what we have achieved in terms of consistency in the Six Nations.

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“We have had a few seconds, a couple of Grand Slams, a Championship as well, but our win record has been excellent – particularly against those big teams.

“We want to finish it off. When someone presents you with an opportunity to win a Grand Slam, you want to take it with both hands.”

North rises high in what was a vintage performance

Wing George North is set to be among three survivors from Wales’ starting XV that clinched the 2012 Grand Slam by beating France, joining captain Alun Wyn Jones and centre Jonathan Davies.

“Sometimes, winning is winning, regardless of how it looks,” said North, reflecting on the Scotland success.

“There is a good belief in the squad, a good vibe. We can go toe-to-toe and we can go through the ugly parts and dog games out when we need to.

“There is plenty to work on from our point of view – too many handling errors, too many turnovers. We’ve got a big week of preparation to put it right.

“Obviously, it (title and Grand Slam) would be a wicked way to finish this tournament, but I am sure the boss man ‘Gats’ will have a few things to sort out this week with us and make sure we are flying on Saturday.”

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Flankly 1 hour ago
Maro Itoje: What was said as Lions fell 'far behind' on scoreboard

This is what dreams are made of

Umm. Credit to a winning team, but to be clear … the team you beat is ranked 6th in the world, did not make it out of the pool stage of the last RWC, and came last in the 2024 Rugby Championship. Not sure any bookie has them as favorites for the 2025 RC either.


Australia have made progress for sure, and of course that matters. But for a team made up of 4 leading rugby nations, including two that are ranked much higher than this opposition, a win is expected and a loss would be humiliating. Furthermore, with weeks of playing together, planning together and living together it is hard to argue that the Lions have had less opportunity for cohesion than Australia.


A win is a win, and no-one should question that. But a last-minute one-score win that depended on a 50/50 penalty call is one to humbly accept, rather than to crow about. It was neither a beating, nor even a compelling win. I thought win was not undeserved, but it’s a close call on which was the better team on the day.


And let’s get off this nonsense about it being like a world cup final. The local pub teams may feel that their big game is like a world cup final, but it’s stupid to pretend it is the reality. The RWC final is played by two of the top teams in the world, and there is no evidence that either of these teams fits that description. There is a game in Eden Park later this year between the #1 and #2 ranked teams that would be a lot closer to it, of course.


Well done to the Lions, and congrats to the Wallabies. Let’s enjoy a good game for what it was, without pretending it was something bigger than it was.

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