The Welsh, seeking their first Grand Slam since 1978, will face an Irish side with title and Triple Crown aspirations.

And Ruddock has kept faith with the team which posted a record-breaking victory over Scotland at Murrayfield last weekend.

Cardiff wing Rhys Williams has shaken off a calf muscle injury, while hooker Mefin Davies and replacement back Hal Luscombe are also fully fit.

Ruddock will make a late decision on whether to go with Mike Phillips or Gareth Cooper as his scrum-half replacement, with Cooper facing a Friday fitness test on his injured ankle.

Ruddock said he had no hesitation retaining the team which accounted for Scotland and put Wales on the verge of RBS 6 Nations glory.

He explained: The side is the same, and our preparation is exactly the same.

This mentality has worked for us so far - we focus on the opposition, the construction of our gameplan and on delivering performance.

We are sticking with what has worked so well for us so far, and that is concentrating on the opposition's strengths and weaknesses, preparing our gameplan in the right way and focusing entirely on the task in hand.

The Irish are the current Triple Crown holders, and they have the experience.''

He continued: With nearly 900 caps between them, and a side that has been settled for the past five years, they are coming to the Millennium Stadium for one thing only, and that
is to win.

But this Welsh team have special qualities - we are confident in the way we play, and we give ourselves a licence to express ourselves no matter who the opposition are.

We will stick to our gameplan, be bold, be expressive and take the opposition on in the
same way we have done throughout the championship, and maintain our strong, aggressive defence.

It has worked for us so far, so there is no way we are going to change now.

Number eight Michael Owen, who took over as skipper from an injured Gareth Thomas against Scotland, will captain Wales for the first time on home soil this weekend.

Wales team to play Ireland in the RBS 6 Nations Championships at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday:
K Morgan (Newport Gwent); R Williams (Cardiff), T Shanklin (Cardiff), G Henson (Neath-Swansea), S Williams (Neath-Swansea); S Jones (Clermont Auvergne); D Peel (Llanelli); G Jenkins (Cardiff), M Davies (Gloucester), A Jones (Neath-Swansea), B Cockbain (Neath-Swansea), R Sidoli (Cardiff), R Jones (Neath-Swansea), M Williams (Cardiff), M Owen (Newport Gwent, capt).

Replacements: R McBryde (Llanelli), J Yapp (Cardiff), J Thomas (Neath-Swansea), R Sowden-Taylor (Cardiff), M Phillips (Llanelli) or G Cooper (Newport Gwent), C Sweeney (Newport Gwent), H Luscombe (Newport Gwent).