Neil Best - Wales to be fuelled by their Twickenham injustice next weekend

It is not by muscle, speed or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character and judgment.

The first two-week lay down in this year’s Six Nations will play differently for the teams that have started well than for those who haven’t. For one it’s a disruption in momentum, for the other chance to regroup and build – but for both, it’s an important opportunity for reflection.

As a player the cycle of forward-looking preparation and matches didn’t always provide adequate opportunity for individual or team reflection – and that was certainly true in the cauldron of the Six Nations. It’s nearly impossible to dissect what has happened without at least one eye on the challenge ahead – especially if that challenge is less than a week away.

In the 2007 Six Nations by the end of our first two games we had beaten Wales away and narrowly lost to France at home -a match that ultimately cost us a Championship and Grand Slam.

But after the two-week lay down we came roaring back and thumped England at Croke Park. The Welsh will want to fuse the memory of their absolute destruction of Scotland with their sense of injustice against England to sound their own roaring comeback in Dublin next weekend.

Sounds good if you’re a Welsh fan? The problem for Wales is that this Irish team aren’t going to be blown away by anyone. The loss of Henshaw means Ireland are now without their three first-choice centres given Jared Payne won’t, and Gary Ringrose is highly unlikely to feature. But as has been the case with losses in other positions someone will unassumingly come in and get the job done.

Munster centre Chris Farrell is most likely to replace Henshaw with Sam Arnold’s name maybe a little more surprisingly being mentioned. Either option will have Ulster fans once again questioning some of the decision making in Belfast given both these players have been allowed to leave in recent seasons. Some might argue that the loss of Henshaw could and maybe should have opened the door for talented Ulster pair Stuart McCloskey and Luke Marshall, but Schmidt just doesn’t seem to be a fan.

Fitness permitting, I expect the rest of the Ireland team to change little for the Wales match with Ryan likely to return to partner Henderson in the second row and Toner to find himself back amongst the replacements.

Ireland have momentum, Wales have a sense of injustice. Both will want to keep that going into their match in Dublin next weekend.

The Irish will go into this match knowing they can lose but expecting to win. Their confidence is shielded and fuelled by the character and judgment of Schmidt.

But ultimately this match is a bigger test for the Welsh than it is for Ireland -for the Welsh there on their second and last chance -and if they get knocked down they won’t be getting up again in this Championship.

When you look into the abyss the abyss also looks into you.