O'Driscoll knows victory over a Wales team who have not won in the championship for 12 months would leave Ireland just 80 minutes away from a potential clean sweep.

But a rightly cautious O'Driscoll explained: "The biggest danger facing us is the face that Wales haven't won yet in this competition.

"They are a wounded animal, and we must be wary of that. They have also got home advantage, so they could really hit it off.

"We know that it will take a full 80-minute performance to beat the Welsh. People who are thinking about runaway scorelines don't really know what they are talking about.

"It would be stupid for us to look ahead of ourselves, because if that happens you are more than likely going to trip up."

Like his skipper, Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is taking nothing for granted.

"If you look back to Wales' last home fixture against England, it was probably their best performance of the season," O'Sullivan said.

"They were a bit unlucky maybe not to create a big upset that day, and they will believe that a win tomorrow would turn this championship around for them.

"I don't think that Wales are getting a lot of credit at the moment.

"They've scored some fantastic tries in this championship, and their counter-attack game, I believe, is the best in the tournament.

"They have great confidence on the ball as individuals, and they run great lines, which makes it a very difficult game to play against if they get the platform.

"Tomorrow is a big day for them, and I don't think they will leave anything in the locker room, come kick-off time."