Wales scarcely need any extra incentive to beat Ireland on Saturday and clinch a first Grand Slam for 27 years, but the dragon was breathing fire out of both nostrils yesterday after the former England coach Dick Best claimed too many Welsh players would weaken the Lions this summer and suggested their Six Nations hopes were "built on sand".
Best's views - he also said he would select Neil Back as his Lions Test flanker ahead of Martyn Williams "any day of the week" and questioned Gavin Henson's "bottle" - have provoked an outcry, with one newspaper plastering the story across its front and back pages, all but eclipsing yesterday's announcement of an unchanged team to face the Irish.
In a week when the whole of Wales is preparing to anoint a new generation of Grand Slam legends, conveniently ignoring Ireland's unbeaten record in Cardiff since 1983, a large chunk of Mike Ruddock's team-talk seems to have been done for him, although the Welsh coach says his squad were sufficiently motivated even before Best's comments filtered through to them.
"Even before the tournament started we've had the pundits' views on the Lions teams up on our noticeboard and that's been enough," said Ruddock, whose line-up includes both the hooker Mefin Davies and wing Rhys Williams despite the dead leg and sore calf they suffered respectively against Scotland.
"Secondly, it's Clive Woodward's opinion that matters. It's rugby and everyone's got opinions, but Sir Clive will be selecting from a great position of strength. He's been in every camp, he'll know more about the players than anyone.
"And thirdly, the Lions tour comes after the Ireland game. Whatever anyone says about the Lions will have to wait until afterwards."
Having coached Leinster and offered Brian O'Driscoll his first professional contract, however, Ruddock is the last person to underestimate Ireland or get swept away in the hype sweeping up and down the valleys.
"They're a very tough team with a lot of experience. Anything else above that is nonsense. This is going to be probably the most physical Test we've played all season."
Ireland scrumhalf Peter Stringer was given the all-clear having sat out training on Tuesday with a back spasm. That leaves Reggie Corrigan as the only concern. The Leinster prop has reported stiffness in a knee.
WALES (v Ireland): K Morgan (Newport Gwent); R Williams (Cardiff), T Shanklin (Cardiff), G Henson (Neath-Swansea), S Williams (Neath-Swansea); S Jones (Clermont Auvergne); D Peel (Llanelli); G Jenkins (Cardiff), M Davies (Gloucester), A Jones (Neath-Swansea), B Cockbain (Neath-Swansea), R Sidoli (Cardiff), R Jones (Neath-Swansea), M Williams (Cardiff), M Owen (Newport Gwent, capt). Replacements: R McBryde (Llanelli), J Yapp (Cardiff), J Thomas (Neath-Swansea), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff), M Phillips (Llanelli) or G Cooper (Newport Gwent), C Sweeney (Newport Gwent), H Luscombe (Newport Gwent).
