Rugby/Six Nations Championship/Wales v Ireland: All of Wales, it seems, is in a fair old tizzy. The sun-kissed streets of Cardiff are festooned in red, and some green, and you can't buy a replica jersey, much less a ticket. There is only one topic of conversation in bars, cafes, taxis and on the airwaves.
The boys of 2005 are set to eclipse the legends of the 1970s and lay a few ghosts to rest. Amid the frenzy, Ireland have been cast as party poopers, in style as well.
The focus is all on the Red Dragonhood and the thrilling, offloading game they've been playing to date, and you sense this is grating on the Irish team, not to mention their own shortcomings against France and the criticism that suddenly befell them. Us against the world again.
Wales had wanted the Millennium Stadium roof closed, but Ireland have dug their heels in, insisting it stays open, ostensibly in a desire to play in natural conditions. Not that it will greatly dissipate the atmosphere. Wales are wheeling out Max Boyce to perform a new version of his rugby anthem Hymns and Arias, and he will sing the national anthem, Hen Wlad fy Nhadau, along with Katherine Jenkins and Charlotte Church, girlfriend of the Red Dragons' pin-up boy Gavin Henson.
Nor, with forecasts of more sunshine and temperatures rising to 19 degrees, is an open roof likely to hinder Wales's free-running game. They attack in pods, with forwards and backs interlinking seamlessly and offloading before contact.
The rejuvenation, initiated by Graham Henry and Steve Hansen, has been fine-tuned by Mike Ruddock, who has also added more forward organisation. Man for man their front-rowers, and especially their backrowers Ryan Jones, Michael Owen and openside Martyn Williams are more dynamic ball carriers than their Irish counterparts, while the outside three of Kevin Morgan and the Williams Twisters are given licence to counterattack. They've shown absolutely no signs of choking.
Ireland will seek to kick in behind the Welsh outside three, attack the Welsh setpieces, have Kevin Maggs, Paul O'Connell, Anthony Foley and co bash it up, utilise their lineout maul, maintain pressure with a more aggressive defence and selectively use Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickie and Geordan Murphy.
The key to all of this, however, is the Irish lineout, and what has happened to it remains one of the great mysteries of the 2005 RBS Six Nations. It is, after all, only 12 months since Ireland's lineout maul was scattering the Welsh forwards to the four corners of Lansdowne Road.
But the defeat to France highlighted how important the lineout platform is to a structured Irish game lacking ball-carrying dynamism in the pack. It has to rediscover its variety and its accuracy, either providing off-the-top ball for Ronan O'Gara to launch runners or take on the Welsh eight with the maul.
This Welsh team feed off turnovers and counterattacks, but they can also be got at. Not only have they made more line breaks (44 to 19), they also conceded more line breaks (45 compared to Ireland's 18).
Ireland, whose last defeat here was in 1983, are seeking first back-to-back Triple Crowns since 1948 and 1949. It's not quite the holy grail this Irish team had in mind but it would still represent a good campaign, even if the requisite 13-point winning margin for a first title in 30 years might be asking too much.
It would be a fitting way to mark Brian O'Brien's last game as manager though. "Wales has always been the haven of rugby football," he said yesterday. "It's a fantastic place to play the game and I couldn't wish to be anywhere else."
In a fitting tribute, Eddie O'Sullivan spoke of "a quintessential rugby man" as well as a great manager, and added: "I think we're a better rugby team for Brian O'Brien's involvement, and we're better people for having him around us. We'll miss him sorely when he goes."
Only once, against France, have Wales been put on the back foot from the off. They have scored four of their 15 tries in the opening 10 minutes, and only one in the last 10. Ireland have scored none in the first 20, but four in the last 10 minutes of their games. While they would be marginal favourites in a tight finish, a good start by Ireland would be a nice change. Another bad one could be fatal.
Conditions will be more to Wales's liking, with home advantage they have so much more to play for and, strictly by the formbook, they have to be favourites.
CHAMPIONSHIP HEAD-TO-HEAD: Played 105, Wales 58 wins, Ireland 41 wins, 6 draws.
BIGGEST WINS: Wales - 34-9 in 1976. Ireland - 54-10 in 2002.
FORMGUIDE: Wales - 11-9 v England (home); 38-8 v Italy (away); 24-18 v France (away); 46-22 v Scotland (away). Ireland - 28-17 v Italy (away); 40-13 v Scotland (away); 19-13 v England (home); 19-26 v France (home).
LEADING TRY SCORERS: Wales - Martyn Williams, Shane Williams 3 each. Ireland - Brian O'Driscoll, Denis Hickie 2 each.
LEADING POINTS SCORERS: Wales - Stephen Jones 41. Ireland - Ronan O'Gara 54.
BETTING (Paddy Powers): 4/7 Wales, 22/1 Draw, 13/10 Ireland. Handicap odds (= Ireland +4pts) 10/11 Wales, 20/1 Draw, 10/11 Ireland.
FORECAST: Wales to win.
