Ireland vs Wales: Ben Davies ready for another 'intense' Nations League clash

The last time the two countries met at the Aviva Stadium in March 2017 saw an ugly tie with plenty of controversy

Phil Blanche
Tuesday 16 October 2018 03:49 EDT
Comments
UEFA Nations League: How does the competition work?

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Ben Davies expects another full-blooded Dublin clash between the Republic of Ireland and Wales in the Nations League.

The last time the two countries met at the Aviva Stadium in March 2017 World Cup qualifying points were at stake and an ugly tie produced plenty of controversy.

The goalless draw was overshadowed by Seamus Coleman suffering a double leg fracture, which kept the Republic captain out of football for 10 months.

"That game was a tough night," Wales defender Davies said. "But we're expecting Ireland to come out all guns blazing trying to get the win. "We are going to make it as intense as we can. We want to start on the front foot to try and win the game, and to do that you have to be as sharp as possible.

Neil Taylor was sent off for a tackle on Seamus Coleman the last time these two met in Dublin
Neil Taylor was sent off for a tackle on Seamus Coleman the last time these two met in Dublin (Getty)

"I'm sure they'll be thinking the same, 100 per cent."

The Republic were beaten 4-1 in Cardiff last month, but Martin O'Neill's side managed to get a foothold in the group by holding Denmark to a Dublin draw on Saturday.

Denmark midfielder Thomas Delaney accused the Republic of playing "primitive football" after that 0-0 stalemate.

But Davies said: "People can say what they want about the football, it's about getting results at the end of the day. If that's what they think it's the best way to do it they can't be knocked.

"Ireland make it really difficult for you. They play direct and put you under pressure constantly, but they've got quality as well."

Davies is expecting a tough test
Davies is expecting a tough test (PA)

Wales will be without star men Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey for the first time in a competitive fixture since the latter made his debut in 2008.

Bale has returned to Real Madrid after being troubled by muscle fatigue, while Ramsey's wife gave birth to twins over the weekend.

"We'd love to have Aaron here, but sometimes some things are more important than football," Davies said. "They are top, top players but as a squad these are the games we have to adapt and show what we're about.

"We have to believe in ourselves and the quality we've got coming in. It's a good opportunity for the young talent coming in."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in