Cardiff Rugby have been a pretty good watch over the past couple years. They have played a fast tempo attacking game and have entertained good crowds. At times, it was a tonic to be at the Arms Park during the Challenge Cup while the national side were plodding from defeat to defeat.

However, exciting rugby has not been winning rugby often enough for Matt Sherratt, but I was encouraged to see him sticking to his philosophy both in his statements and the team he has selected for the match against Ireland.

The signals are clear, this is a major divergence from Warrenball. Two opensides, a familiar midfield and a coach that is comfortable with a bit more risk in the way Wales play.

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Sherratt is a coach that has risen up the hard way. He has not played at the highest level and he does not have a southern hemisphere accent. Two attributes that are normally a must for a coach to get ahead.

Nevertheless, he has earned his players' respect through his hard work, his ability to impart his knowledge to his players and by having a clear vision of how he wants his team to play.

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He’s talked a lot about teams having an identity, familiar characteristics that form a repeated pattern of play. Sherratt believes in a high skill gameplan with the ball moving quickly, integrating forwards and backs.

However, any romantic notions that Sherratt’s career with Wales will start with a win are utterly misguided. The reality of Test match rugby will arrive in Cardiff on Saturday in the form of a formidable Irish side that look odds-on to secure the grand slam.

Sherratt cannot expect for the team to have fully incorporated his ideas in four training sessions. For now, Wales need to find a way to cross gainlines and/or recycle quickly - two things they have been unable to do for months.

Ireland have an excellent defence. Even under pressure they rarely lose shape or concede penalties. The trust they have in their systems is a product of the years they have held out against the finest teams in the world. They don’t overcommit at the tackle and they have a team full of jackelers able to win a turnover at any stage.

The balance that Wales must strike this weekend is not to get over-excited and play into the welcoming arms of the Irish tacklers. I suspect Wales will play with lots of variation from first phase, looking to find a soft edge somewhere. That might mean going wide early and from deep while Ireland’s wingers are back, or some inventive misdirection on starter plays.

But if they don’t create those opportunities within the first two phases Sherratt will need his half backs to recognise that and go to the air pretty quickly. I even think that we may see Wales kicking quite a lot in attack - looking for space behind the defensive line to slow down the Irish line speed.

Defensively, Wales have been poor for some time. They look like a fragile team. You fear a try could come from anywhere and teams don’t have to work hard to cross the line against them.

Can the Welsh pack stand up to the numerous ball carriers that Ireland have?

Chopping runners down to allow Morgan and Reffell opportunities to compete is fine in theory. But going low means that Ireland can offload or get quick recycles if Wales don’t get on the ball.

I‘m glad to see Nicky Smith in the starting line up. He has caught the eye off the bench. Gareth Thomas has a chance to make his impact off the bench. I was not surprised to see Jarrod Evans in the 23. He is the most gifted attacking fly half of his generation in Wales. He may not be the complete package but no-one attacks the line better than Evans.

I would not say there is a sense of optimism about the game this weekend but there is a feeling that things will be less predictable and less dull to watch. Wales were in rut for the best part of a year and at least it will be different this weekend.

I read Warren Gatland’s reflections on his tenure with interest this week. It was a fairly candid account of his thoughts and emotions leading up to his resignation. He was quick to express his disappointment and frustration with the criticism he received in the press and the negative influence the media had in his final few months.

Ironically, he lashed out at the media during an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, his employer for rugby columns for the last three years, hereby demonstrating David Brent levels of self-awareness.

There was one thing I did learn from the interview, that Gatland would be filled with a sense of dread before his final few matches in charge. I know how he feels, there were about 70,000 of us in the stadium that felt the same way.

I’m sure history will be very kind to Warren Gatland and his time with Wales. But it is time to move on, and a new period in Welsh rugby begins against Ireland this weekend.

Gwyn Jones is part of S4C's Six Nations coverage. You can watch Wales v Ireland live on S4C on Saturday from 1.30pm