Best: Wales tougher than England
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Ireland hooker Rory Best has said that the Welsh, waiting for them at the Millennium, Stadium will be a tougher challenge than their last victory against England – which he rates as their second-best performance.
Best is well aware that although Ireland look dead-set on taking the Championship again this year, however a slip-up against Wales could jeopardize their title charge.
Wales have bounced back impressively from that opening round defeat to England at the Millennium Stadium, winning on the road against both Scotland and France.
Best feels the Welsh performance in Paris showed they are hugely determined to regain the Championship crown they last won in 2013.
"The big thing for us is to prepare well," Best said.
"We know we are going to have to be better than we were against England at the Aviva Stadium."It's a tougher challenge, Wales in the Millennium Stadium, a team that are very much back on form now, chasing a Championship as well.
"It's a massive test for us."
Best has warned Wales that Ireland’s display during their triumph over England was their best since throwing away victory against New Zealand in November 2013.
He insisted the defending champions’ 19-9 win in Dublin earlier this month had surpassed any of their performances during a record-equalling 10-match winning streak since losing to the England at Twickenham in last year’s European showpiece.
“You would have said that the New Zealand game 16 months ago was the benchmark for us, where we expect to be every time,” said the hooker.
Wales have never suffered from lack of star-quality and Best knows his opposition, as well as their coach, all too well.
"Wales are a quality outfit," he continued.
"You just have to look down the teams they have picked. They made a few changes for the French game, freshened things up a little bit and they really took France apart up front which in Paris is no mean feat.
"You look through the spine of their team and from my point of view, up front, they have some real quality, experienced players in that pack."
Best also has experience of playing under Wales head coach Warren Gatland during the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour in Australia where he also trained with and played with a number of the current Welsh players.
"Richard Hibbard is a quality player. He obviously didn't start in Paris but [did] before that," Best said.
"He's a hard man that runs and tackles hard and is good in the scrum and lineout.
"He's a capped British Lion, they don't hand those out willy-nilly.
"Scott Baldwin stepped in Paris and I thought he had a fantastic game for them, so it's going to be a selection headache for them [at hooker] and one they're happy to have, with two quality players there."
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