British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland insists his Wales outfit do not fear anyone as they prepare to face an Ireland side with a point to prove in Dublin.
Wales are captained by the returning Sam Warburton– the man who also skippered the Lions to victory Down Under last summer– and travel to the Aviva Stadium boasting a strong record away from home.
Their record against opponents Ireland favours them also having won three of their last four meetings, but they will be looking to avenge the 30-22 defeat they suffered in the last clash between the two.
And Gatland, who masterminded the Lions’ first Test series win in Australia for 16 years, believes the confidence his side have coursing through their veins will help ensure they continue their winning streak.
“Run hard – there’s nothing flash about it. You have just got to front up physically,” said Gatland.
“‘We have not lost away since March 2011. That’s a pretty good record. We are pretty comfortable in this tournament.
“Saturday is going to be tough but there’s no team we fear and it’s great to go away from home and have that confidence that you can win, even when sometimes you have to grind out the ugly win – that’s important too.
“If you look at history over the last 20 years the ironic thing between Ireland and Wales is that it has tended to favour the away team more than the home side.
“We’ve played once in the tournament at the Aviva and had a win there. Hopefully, we go do that again.”
