Wales and Ireland: Dewi Lake Acknowledges a Growing Divide in Rugby

Wales captain Dewi Lake has openly admitted to an “obvious gulf” in quality between his team and Ireland, particularly highlighted by the 2025 British & Irish Lions selection process. Despite this acknowledgment, Lake remains optimistic about Wales’ ability to cause an upset in their upcoming Six Nations clash in Dublin on Friday evening.

Lions Selection Highlights Disparity

Only two Welsh players – flanker Jac Morgan and scrum-half Tomos Williams – were selected by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell for the triumphant 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. Ireland ultimately fielded 18 players on the tour, including replacements for injuries. Lake recognizes this disparity as a clear indicator of the current state of the two nations’ rugby programs.

“It can’t not [display the difference], really, can it?” Lake stated. “Ultimately over the last 12 months, we haven’t been decent enough as a team. I think the two individuals, Tomos and Jac, are world-class players, fully deserved to be on that tour. We haven’t set enough results together, we haven’t shown the team and the individuals we can be over the last 12 months.”

Wales’ Recent Struggles and a Shift in Mentality

Wales has endured a challenging period, suffering 14 consecutive Guinness Six Nations defeats. Their last Six Nations win in Dublin dates back to 2012, and their most recent international victory at the Aviva Stadium was an 11-year-old World Cup warm-up match. Despite this history, Lake believes a corner has been turned, citing a more encouraging performance in their recent 26-23 defeat to Scotland.

“That’s probably our favourite place to be really – the underdog,” Lake said. “Being Welsh, we’ve always loved being the underdog. Nobody giving us an opportunity. I think nobody really gave us an opportunity last week and we showed what we could do. I know ultimately we didn’t approach away with a result in that game, but that game has given us belief and is only going to carry the momentum of this squad through this weekend.”

Ireland’s Form and the Challenge Ahead

Ireland enters the match as heavy favorites, buoyed by a record-breaking 42-21 away victory against England. Lake acknowledges Ireland’s growth as a top-class team but remains confident in Wales’ potential to compete. “Obviously Ireland are a team that massively have grown and are a top-class team. It shows an obvious gulf at the minute. But, on our day, we believe we can beat anyone.”

The match between Ireland and Wales is scheduled for Friday at the Aviva Stadium, with coverage beginning at 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.