I got my first Ireland cap under Warren Gatland 18 years ago. He was 36 then. I look at that now, and think, ‘Wow’. Two Grand Slams, three Six Nations championships and tomorrow, a 100th game in charge of Wales. It’s some achievement. People can say things about him, and they do, but you can’t deny Gatland’s rugby smarts.

And he knows Ireland well, our systems, our structures. And our coach. Which explains why Warren’s still worried. Is there anything Ireland can throw at me? Something I’m not expecting...

And he will fret because that’s the strength of Joe Schmidt. That’s where he has the edge on everyone. He has that capacity, because he trawls through hours and hours of video to come up with something.

That’s the unspoken work. To be prepared to wade through hours upon hours of footage to even potentially come across something you could exploit that may offer Ireland an advantage. Ireland’s video analysts must worry that Joe doesn’t trust them, but it’s not that. The problem with handing over video work to someone else is that one analyst sees Possibility A, another sees Opportunity B. You are putting the work and the solutions into somebody else’s hands and though these analysts are really good, Joe has to put his own finger in the wounds. You want to see the evidence yourself. Schmidt sifts through everything. He has a massive appetite for work.

And while the Irish players will generate their own triggers and useful (if imagined) Welsh slights, Joe will stick to facts. The last 15 test results on the overhead projector.

‘It’s in our control. We concentrate on our game. These boys will look to pull and grab, cheap shot and distract you. We stay focused, we stay on task. We know when we play our game, our game works. We are the best rucking side in the world because we do this. We are the best team in the world at winning the high balls. Ok Earlsie, ok Jacob? Any kicking game, Kearns, you eat that up.’

That’s Joe. The Irish coach makes his players really accountable for their performance, simplifying their tasks, which is a great coaching skill.

The most interesting comments this week came from Andy Farrell who, it can be safely interpreted, was fuming with some of the Irish defensive lapses against Italy. My guess is he might have been looking at the zero-to-ten caps more than the established internationals, who respect the standards. Maybe some lads were lulled into believing that as long as the points tally was ticking towards and over 40 points, everything’s grand. But that’s not the way top coaches work.

Ireland don’t give away many points and it’s Farrell’s job to keep it that way. As unpredictable as the Six Nations championship has become, it will be Ireland’s mission again tomorrow to neutralise the impact of Leigh Halfpenny’s boot. Another of Gatland’s changes, Liam Williams, is a serious operator, a class act who underlined his form with a match-winning display last Friday for Saracens against Sale.

Dan Biggar? Big marks for perseverance because he hasn’t always been able to curry favour with Gatland and Howley. It will be interesting to watch how the Welsh chemistry develops because Biggar isn’t exactly a Scarlets type of player. He likes to manage the game, while the Scarlets lads tend to go for it more. The contradiction may work in Ireland’s favour.

Gatland bigging up Murray and Sexton as one of the best half-back partnerships in the world is really no compliment at all. Compared to what? The truth is they are over and above any half-back partnership in world rugby. The fascination here in Christchurch with Murray is very interesting. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s one of our own, but the awe in which other scrum-halves in New Zealand hold the Munster nine has me intrigued — especially their admiration for his box-kicking (the sports editor here will be amused!). I’ve had more than one ask me about Murray’s box-kicking drills. They are fascinated by him and his accuracy with ball in hand.

It means, of course, he lives with a target on his back, but can’t that be said for the Ireland team in general at this stage? The Six Nations has never been as competitive and unpredictable, primarily because of the eccentricities of Scotland and France. If one takes Italy out of the mix, every country believes they have it within them to beat another. No one would have given a bonus point win to Wales in Week One. Few would have given France a chance of beating Ireland. And would anyone safely wager than Scotland won’t upset things again and win the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield tomorrow? They could, you know. The trouble is no-one knows what they are going to get with Scotland. But their last three home games have produced a win over Australia, a narrow defeat to New Zealand and the defeat of France. They’ll fancy adding England to that.

There is no result at the Aviva tomorrow that qualifies as a shock, but a Welsh win is still unlikely. Home advantage is massive, and I can’t see who is going to put points on the board for the visitors. Ireland will look to produce the same cutting edge they showed against Italy, which was a major shift up in a week after Paris.

Gatland may have more on his plate tomorrow morning than to be checking how his beloved Waikato Chiefs get on in their Super Rugby opener. They face the Crusaders here in Christchurch. We’ve come full circle. Gatty came to the west of Ireland to cut his coaching teeth, I’m down on the south island facing his Chiefs, beginning a new chapter.

Last Thursday the Crusaders were down in Invercargill for a final pre-season prep against the Highlanders. As champions, we’re the ones with a big target on our back.

Ireland are getting used to that. Teams are out to hammer you. And the Highlanders did precisely that. Kieran Read, Joe Moody, Owen Franks and Israel Dagg won’t see game time til April, but we keep moving forward. It’s time to show why the Super Rugby trophy is residing in Christchurch.

Nothing personal, Warren.