Wales travel to Dublin on Friday night still seeking their first win in this year's Six Nations Championship, with Steve Tandy's side bottom of the table on just one point from their opening three matches. The visitors arrive on a run of 14 consecutive Six Nations defeats, though their last outing against Scotland in Cardiff offered some encouragement in a narrow 26-23 loss.
Ireland, meanwhile, opened their campaign with a heavy 36-14 defeat to France but have since recovered with wins over Italy and England, the latter a record 42-21 away victory at Twickenham which keeps their title hopes alive. Betting markets reflect the gulf in form, with Ireland installed as heavy favourites and handed a 27-point handicap for the encounter.
Wales' last win over Ireland came in February 2021 at the Millennium Stadium, a 21-16 success, and they have not tasted victory in Dublin since 2015. With Ireland in commanding form, the main question appears to be the margin of their victory.
Robert Baloucoune is currently joint-leading try scorer for Ireland in the tournament alongside Jamie Osborne, both with two tries. The explosive left winger scored the final try in the win over Italy and added another against England. He is priced at 11/5 to score two or more tries in Dublin, while a bet on him to score the first try is available at 9/2.
The match kicks off at 8:10pm and is live on ITV1. Ireland will be expected to extend their winning run, with Wales aiming to end a difficult period that has seen them lose 24 of their last 26 internationals, with both victories coming against Japan.
