IT'S TEMPTING to use the analogy that has old dogs and hard roads as a central theme in reference to a 63rd-minute incident in Saturday's Six Nations game at Croke Park.

Ireland number eight Jamie Heaslip was careering into the Welsh 22 with Brian O'Driscoll and Eoin Reddan in support. A try looked likely based on a simple numbers premise where Irish support runners outnumbered Welsh defenders until Wales openside Martyn Williams intervened. A calculating flick of his left boot across the heels of Reddan sent the Irish scrumhalf tumbling to the ground. It was a professional foul in the truest essence of the phrase.

In one instant Martyn Williams had removed the threat of his side conceding seven points, the Irish gambit eventually petering out when Heaslip's pass to O'Driscoll was intercepted by Stephen Jones. It may be a matter of supposition but Reddan's running line would have made Heaslip's offload a great deal more straightforward.

The 32-year-old Welsh flanker acted instinctively, choosing an action that he wouldn't balk at repeating in similar circumstances. Considering the moment in the bowels of Croke Park on Saturday evening, Williams wore a rueful smile as he explained his actions: "It happens throughout a game (trying to get away with things) sometimes you get caught, sometimes you don't.

"Yeah, it was instinct to stick my foot out. Sometimes you don't get caught but Wayne (Barnes) happened to see it. It was a long 10 minutes. I looked across at the touch judge (Christophe Berdos) and saw that he picked it up so I started to walk off.

"We spoke about it all week that if someone makes a mistake we had to dig ourselves out of a hole.

"It (the bench on the sideline) was a lonely place. Myself and Mike Phillips were chatting about it afterwards. It's a fine line between villain and hero. They (the two sinbinnings) could have been turning points but you have to take your hat off to the boys when we went down to 14 men: it was just a huge effort to stay on top of things.

"Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't, I'm just glad that we held together defensively during those times."

Despite the fact that Wales went on to win the match, Williams is concerned his sin binning might not be the end of the matter. Coach Warren Gatland had pointed out that he would revisit the disciplinary lapses with certain players.

So was Williams concerned about that impending tête-à-tête? "It's not Warren, It's Shaun (Edwards) I'm worried about. He might tap me on the back and say, 'you saved a try', or then again he might not. I'm just glad we went on to win the game."

The assertion that Wales created far more try-scoring opportunities than their hosts but butchered two or three gilt-edged chances was diplomatically sidestepped by Williams. "I wouldn't say we were more than four points better than Ireland.

"We had our chances and perhaps should have finished a few more. They had their chances as well and didn't quite take them. To come to Dublin against a team that has lost here only once before in the last minute to France and face a top quality side . . . well, we'll take it (a victory) by one, two, three or four points."

He was unequivocal about where the game was won from a Welsh perspective. "I just think our front five played superbly. Everyone seems to big up everyone else's pack and talk about our backs; rightly so as Shane (Williams) and Gavin (Henson) were immense today but you have to see the work the front five are doing throughout the tournament. It has been unbelievable. I think that's why we have won four out of four.

"Defence has (also) been fantastic. We were cut once or twice (against Ireland) but we pride ourselves on working really hard. We haven't had a natural run-in try against us. It's not by accident this has happened as we have worked really hard over the last five or six weeks and we now have to keep going.

"Confidence is a huge thing and we have had luck. Shane Horgan's try being ruled out is a huge decision and the championships can hinge on those moments; so we have had the luck so far and that shouldn't be ignored."

Williams, who won his 80th cap at Croke Park having been persuaded out of retirement by Gatland, underlined the hunger and ambition of this Welsh side. "It couldn't have worked out much better, to be honest with you. As we were walking around the pitch, a few of us were saying that we have one game to go.

"It's a massive one. Triple Crowns are great and winning in Dublin is great but we want to win the (Six Nations) championship and that'll require another enormous effort next week." As Williams has shown, Wales will do whatever it takes to realise that goal, individually and collectively.