Johnny Wattersongets Irish outhalf Ronan O'Gara to run the rule over his opposite number in Sunday's encounter

No one really knows just what sort of backline Welsh coach Gareth Jenkins is going to put on the field on Sunday, but one thing is certain, given the look of Llanelli and Cardiff, Wales will be expecting to win and the man pulling the strings in the number 10 shirt could well be one of the other five Jones on the 33-man Welsh squad, Stephen.

He will be under orders to try to undermine his mate and rival on the day, Ronan O'Gara. The two highly-respected playmakers are good friends outside of rugby, with O'Gara observing yesterday that Jones' history in the red shirt as well as his demeanour on and off the pitch earns him immense respect.

"Obviously, he's a very good friend. I was introduced to him off the field many years ago. He's a very pleasant man, a highly entertaining fella," said O'Gara at the Irish team headquarters in Dublin.

"I think he's got the balance right between enjoying himself off the pitch and on the pitch. Probably you need to in the position of outhalf because it is quite stressful. I admire him hugely. I think he's a great player and his track record down through the years has proved that.

"Obviously, there was competition between us on the Lions tour and that. Just because he was going for the same position . . . you can still get on with the fella. The two of us know where the line is and we work within that.

"I think he is intelligent and I think he has a positive outlook on the game. Mentally, he's sharp and he's also a team player. All the boys around him play for him and that's the sign of a popular player within the team."

O'Gara could well be talking about himself and while Brian O'Driscoll once commented that the Irish outhalf occasionally needs his "Ronan time out", which could mean disappearing to the horse track, O'Gara and Jones might be the two most important players on the pitch come Sunday.

The fact that no one really knows what shape Wales will take could add an element of unfamiliarity to the team but will also make them more of a volatile package, although, given the ability of the players available, there is easily sufficient pedigree around.

"Whoever plays for Wales they are going to be strong," says O'Gara, "if you look at the quality they have, especially in their backs. They were ravaged with injury a few seasons ago but now they have huge strength in depth and I think it's a compliment to them that no one knows what their starting seven in the back line is going to be, so that will keep us guessing through the week."

But O'Gara and the rest of the squad have developed enough confidence in their game from the success of the autumn series of international matches, that they now seek ways of maximising their collective ability rather than concentrating too much on the opposition.

"I think the great thing about the Irish team now is we are focusing on ourselves. We have to, you know," says O'Gara. "We haven't spent too much time together. You might think we are in camp a lot. But a lot of that time is rest time so in the back line there are a lot of combinations that we haven't tried out. We're only getting familiar with each other again so I think it's important we focus on ourselves. We'll look at Wales as the week goes on but for the initial part, we must try and get our own game right."

The Irish squad have already had a run in Croke Park as the historic game against France looms. But that match now is almost like a carrot to encourage the players to perform. O'Gara spent a short time kicking on the hallowed turf but admits the surface is different and more work is required.

"Yes, we've had one session there," he says. "The surface was good. All the boys were changing studs and working out what suited them. People, though, are very aware of what's happening this week.

"If we don't perform some people mightn't get to play in Croke Park. Croke Park is for next week.

"I've only taken 20 kicks there so I can't really comment too much on it. It was a little bit different to a normal pitch, to be honest, in terms of trying to get a spot to focus on behind the posts. Hopefully, that will come when we fine tune."

To the Millennium Stadium, then.