Six Nations 2016 Ireland vs Wales: Red Dragons are all smiles as injury crisis finally lifts but Ireland lick wounds

Wales virtually at full strength in Dublin after World Cup problems while Schmidt is missing nine first-teamers

Wales Head coach Warren Gatland during the squad announcement at the Vale Resort, Hensol. (PA)

Warren Gatland was this week likened by one Irish columnist to “Jack Nicholson in a Santa suit” – a reference to the Kiwi’s recent attempts to cloak his usual grumpy demeanour – but it will be the Wales coach rather than his Irish counterpart who will be thinking Christmas has come early in Dublin this weekend.

Wales’ cursed luck with injuries, which left Gatland looking across the regions for a fit back line with which to start as the Rugby World Cup progressed, finally appears to have been resolved. No longer is it a case of last man standing, at least not for the Welsh.

That particular poisoned chalice has been passed on to Joe Schmidt and his Ireland side, who are now missing nine first-team players after full-back Rob Kearney and influential back-row forward Sean O’Brien have been ruled out of the game at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

In fact, Ireland start the match with just three players who took the field for the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina in October: Rory Best, appointed captain instead of the retired Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Devin Toner.

Schmidt is all too aware that options have become increasingly limited with the ever-growing number of walking wounded. “Sean O’Brien was on the edge of being able to play,” he said. “We’ll give Sean the opportunity to train properly next week but he leads from the front. Thankfully we still have Jamie there with his experience.

“As for Rob, he should be fully fit at the latest on Thursday. His is a very minute strain so he should be right to train for Tuesday or at the latest Thursday.”

The absence of O’Brien paves the way for CJ Stander to make his international debut, the South African-born 23-year-old, a Munster regular since 2012, who became eligible for Ireland on residency grounds on the day after New Zealand defeated South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final.

Stander is not quite a like-for-like replacement for O’Brien in the back row but Schmidt was full of praise for Ireland’s newest recruit. “He’s been fitting in really well,” Schmidt said. “He’s certainly a really committed character. We just felt it would be a good mix in the absence of Sean O’Brien. There’s nothing like the Test arena to see where he’s at.”

With Kearney missing, Simon Zebo slots in at full-back, while Keith Earls and Andrew Trimble take up the two wing berths. The pre-match prediction is that Ireland will again be reliant on their aerial game with Conor Murray and Jonny Sexton paired together at half-back.

Wales have spent all week saying they are ready for the aerial bombardment at the Aviva Stadium, and Schmidt, whose Ireland side beat the Welsh 26-3 when the two sides last met in the Six Nations in Dublin in 2014, insisted his team would not just rely on a kicking game.

“Last year we moved the ball around well against them,” he said. “There were bits of that game we played superbly. We kicked 11 times and, despite what might have been said, they kicked 22 times.”

“We’ve got to be smart how we play the game. The biggest thing they have is their defence and their line speed, and Wales will want us to play them a fair bit.”

In contrast, the Welsh contingent travelling to the Irish capital are nearly fully fit. Liam Williams could have been selected at full-back but, in light of the injury problems he suffered last year, the decision was taken to give him more time, to the extent he is also unlikely to be considered against Scotland in a week’s time. In his absence, Gareth Anscombe starts at full-back.

While Ireland have been criticised for a supposed reliance on the boot, Wales’ critics have been sniping about their lack of attacking prowess. The suggestion from the camp is that Gatland is pressing for a more offensive philosophy – the selection of Tom James, who we are told has “the X-factor about him”, five years after his last international appearance, is a nod to that.

Yet Gatland’s assistant coach Rob Howley hit back on the eve of travelling to Dublin about the manner that the side was being pigeon-holed. “When you look back at the World Cup, I thought we played some great rugby against England,” he said. “I thought we came up just short against Fiji, who are a difficult side to break down. With Australia, I think you have to say well done, great defence, because they held us up on three occasions.

“OK, we weren’t clinical enough in the areas you need to be but that’s what we have to be on Sunday. I wouldn’t envisage there being as many chances if the weather reports are true. It’s about earning the right to play in the wide channel.”

Wales are arguably stronger than at the World Cup, welcoming back Jonathan Davies at centre, partnering Jamie Roberts for the 40th time in international rugby. In truth, the only slight injury concerns have been the aforementioned Williams and Dan Lydiate, who was placed on the bench rather than risk starting alongside captain Sam Warburton in the same back row with both men having only just returned from injury.

Ireland, in contrast, can barely afford another injury.