Morgan seeking positive attitude

Johnny Watterson talks to Welsh full back Kevin Morgan ahead ofSunday's international.

Kevin Morgan, full back. Craig Morgan, winger. The two unrelated Welsh players grew up not a mile apart from each other and on Sunday will, for the first time, line out with Wales to face Ireland at Lansdowne Road - Craig earning his first cap on the wing and Kevin a 24-year- old "veteran" of 15 internationals.

"I played in Lansdowne Road four years ago and also last October," says Kevin. "Won one, lost one at the moment."

The Welsh will come to Lansdowne Road as underdogs. And that's how they like it. Ireland, says the full back, are now one of Europe's aristocratic rugby sides.

"It is definitely one of the hardest matches we will play even though we've a good track record in Lansdowne Road. But Ireland have significantly improved over the last two years. They are up with England and France. No one else in the competition is at that level at the moment," he says.

In his first match against Ireland he scored one of his four career tries to date, the others coming against Japan and Romania (two).

But despite his eagerly communicated respect for the home team, the Welsh squad do not believe they will play as badly as they did in last year's championship, which was held over until the autumn because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

"We're definitely underdogs. Ireland were a lot better than we were last October and we've got to put our hands up and say we didn't play well in that match. But Wales now have quite a few younger players and have decided to bring them on in time for them to be in contention for the next World Cup. There's a bit of momentum.

"We've Ireland away and France at home in our first two matches . We know that it is going to be tough." The 36-6 win for Ireland in Wales reflects the sort of one-sided affair a senior side might inflict on Transition Year wannabes, though, not many school sides are booed out of the Millennium Stadium as Wales were on that occasion.

The professional's imperative is to look away from bad times and concentrate on what is positive and Morgan is already engaged in what shape the match will take.

"I think most full backs expect an aerial bombardment when they come to Lansdowne Road. It is different to most international grounds. The wind factor there is different and the vocal factor of the crowd on the terraces I'll have to cope with that and deal with it," he says.

"Ireland have also become more expansive over the years. With players like David Humphreys and Ronan O'Gara kicking, Ireland have been good at putting teams in their own half and keeping them under pressure. The two are similar players but Humphreys probably relies more on kicking. In October, though, there wasn't that much kicking in the match because Ireland were doing well attacking us."

Wales go into the match with seven changes from the team that ran world champions Australia close before losing 21-13 two months ago.The introduction of Cardiff's 23-year-old winger Craig Morgan is emblematic of Graham Henry's willingness to look around for success while Kevin Morgan sees a need for Wales to become more offensive and confident in their game.

"We've got to go out and impose ourselves on Ireland and not adopt a defensive attitude from the beginning. It is important for us not to let Ireland get into a comfortable lead," he says, again offering Ireland a route towards complacency.