Underdogs Ready for Dublin Test

Wales captain Dewi Lake has openly acknowledged a current performance gap between his team and Ireland, but remains confident in their ability to cause an upset in Friday’s Six Nations encounter in Dublin. The Welsh side is seeking to end a challenging streak of 14 consecutive Six Nations defeats.

Lions Selection Highlights Disparity

Lake’s assessment comes in the wake of the 2025 British & Irish Lions squad selection, where only two Welsh players – flanker Jac Morgan (currently injured) and scrum-half Tomos Williams – were chosen by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell for the tour of Australia. Ireland ultimately had 18 players on that tour, including three late additions due to injury.

It can’t not (show the difference), really, can it?

Dewi Lake

Lake continued, over the last 12 months, we haven’t been good enough as a team. He emphasized the quality of the Welsh players selected for the Lions, stating, I think the two individuals, Tomos and Jac, are world-class players, fully deserved to be on that tour.

Building Momentum from Scotland Performance

Despite a recent history of struggles, Wales displayed improved form in their narrow 26-23 defeat against Scotland. Lake believes this performance is a turning point. That’s probably our favourite place to be really – the underdog, he said. Being Welsh, we’ve always loved being the underdog. Nobody giving us an opportunity. He added, I think nobody really gave us an opportunity last week and we showed what we could do.

Ireland, meanwhile, are riding high after a record-breaking 42-21 victory over England and remain strong contenders for the Six Nations title.

Historical Context

Wales hasn’t secured a Six Nations win in Dublin since 2012 and their last international victory at the Aviva Stadium was 11 years ago in a World Cup warm-up match.

FAQ

What is Wales’ current Six Nations losing streak?

Wales has lost their past 14 Six Nations matches.

How many Welsh players were selected for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour?

Two Welsh players, Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams, were selected for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour.

What was Ireland’s most recent result?

Ireland defeated England 42-21 in their last match.