SIX NATIONS 2009 - WALES v IRELAND
Venue: Millennium Stadium Date: Saturday, 21 March Kick-off: 1730 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC ONE Wales and online, full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and online plus score updates on BBC Radio 5 Live

Wales number eight Andy Powell is a late withdrawal from the crunch Six Nations finale against Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday.

Powell injured a thigh muscle on Friday and is replaced by Dafydd Jones with Osprey Jonathan Thomas on the replacements' bench.

Gavin Henson has ousted Jamie Roberts from Wales' line-up.

Henson starts at inside centre and Mark Jones replaces Leigh Halfpenny as Wales make two changes from the France loss.

Wales start with seven changes from the 20-15 victory over Italy last weekend with Ryan Jones returning to lead the side.

606: DEBATE Gatland needs to shut up and get on with coaching his team. He's behaving like a football coach Millsie1981

Back in the starting line-up are: Jones, Tom Shanklin, Stephen Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees, Adam Jones, Ian Gough and Martyn Williams.

Powell had been under pressure from Jonathan Thomas for a place in the back-row after his performance at the Flaminio Stadium.

The whole front row changes from the close victory over Italy, with Jenkins, Rees and Adam Jones returning to replace John Yapp, Huw Bennett and Rhys Thomas.

Behind the scrum there are two changes with Stephen Jones taking over at outside-half from James Hook and Shanklin, who scored the decisive try against Italy as a second-half replacement, ousting Roberts, who is on the bench.

It will be not be lost on Ireland, who are chasing their first Grand Slam since 1948, that Henson has never failed to win against a northern hemisphere team when he has been in the starting line-up.

But Gatland understands that Wales have their work cut out to overcome unbeaten Ireland by 13 points.

"I don't mind admitting we have left ourselves with a lot to do to win the championship, but on the other hand the 13 point deficit is by no means insurmountable," said the New Zealander.

"There is also a Triple Crown at stake and we know only too well in Wales that Grand Slams don't come cheaply - we've won two in the last decade and so all the pressure will be on Ireland to grab only the second in their history.

"With a healthy head start you have to say Ireland are probably favourites to take the title, but we are confident we can come up with a win and who knows what will happen if we can get ourselves ahead in the game and that Millennium Stadium factor begins to kick in."

Six of the side which played in Rome are on the replacements bench on Saturday - Yapp, Bennett, Luke Charteris, Dafydd Jones, Hook and Roberts, with Warren Fury named again as the scrum-half substitute.

Wales: Lee Byrne (Ospreys); Mark Jones (Scarlets), Tom Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), Gavin Henson (Ospreys), Shane Williams (Ospreys); Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Ospreys); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Ian Gough (Ospreys), Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dafydd Jones (Scarlets), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys, capt).
Replacements: Huw Bennett (Ospreys), John Yapp (Cardiff Blues), Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Warren Fury (London Irish), James Hook (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues).

Ireland: Rob Kearney (Leinster); Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster); Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Tomas O'Leary (Munster); Marcus Horan (Munster), Jerry Flannery (Munster), John Hayes (Munster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), Paul O'Connell (Munster, capt), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), David Wallace (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: Rory Best (Ulster), Tom Court (Ulster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), Denis Leamy (Munster), Peter Stringer (Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester).

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).

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