Ireland in risky business against Wales, admits Schmidt

Joe Schmidt admits he's taking risks with his Ireland team selection as they prepare for the visit of Wales to Lansdowne Road for Sunday's Six Nations clash. While Wales coach Warren Gatland named a strong side, reigning champions Ireland will have just six players who started the World Cup quarter final defeat to Argentina last year, with retirement and injury limiting Schmidt's options. Talismanic figure Paul O'Connell hung up his boots after the World Cup, while Tommy Bowe, Peter O'Mahony, Ian Henderson, Cian Healy, Marty Moore, Luke Fitzgerald, Chris Henry, Sean O'Brien and Rob Kearney are all unavailable through injury. Former South Africa Under-20 skipper, and Munster captain, CJ Stander will make his first appearance for Ireland starting at blindside having qualified for Ireland on residency rules last November. His Munster teammate Tommy O'Donnell starts having not played for Ireland since dislocating his hip in Ireland's World Cup warm-up win over Wales in Cardiff in August. In the backs, Schmidt plumped for the tried-and-trusted partnership of Jared Payne and Robbie Henshaw in midfield, despite the impressive form of Ulster duo Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall. Simon Zebo was given the nod at 15, following Rob Kearney's late withdrawal with a hamstring strain. "I think if you don't feel like you have taken a risk every time that you go to a test match then you probably haven't given it enough thought," Schmidt admitted ahead of his third Six Nations in charge of Ireland. "I'm forever thinking maybe we should do this or maybe we should do that. "But what we have tried to do is stay hugely focussed on the people we have and the qualities they bring. And you know the confidence we have in the guys who are in there to step up. "Would you like another week to prepare? Absolutely. The reality is we play on Sunday. "We feel relatively prepared for that but also cognisant of the fact Wales will be well prepared because there has been real rhythm and continuity in their selections and the way they play the game." Schmidt, who could lead Ireland to an unprecedented three championships in a row, admits Ireland must improve their penalty count against Gatland's side, for whom Dan Biggar is a priceless kicker, and alerted referee Jerome Garces to a statistic involving Welsh teams in the championship. "If you look at the pattern across the Six Nations, a number of teams have their highest penalty count when they play Wales," he said. "It is a complication when you're playing them. You've got to try and limit that number." Wales and Ireland met in round one in both 2012 and 2013, and while both sides took one win apiece, Wales still won the championship on each occasion, adding another layer to the tactical battle between Gatland and Schmidt, two coaches linked with the 2017 Lions role. "I suppose the template for them is the way they played against us two years ago when we went to the Aviva Stadium and they played us off the park in terms of driving well at lineout time," Gatland admitted. "We were well beaten that day. We are expecting the same again from them a little bit because it has been very successful, so we've got to make sure we handle that as a team. "The greatest strength with the Irish is when they are written off and people disrespect their ability to play. "They have won the championship in the last two years and we respect them tremendously as a team."