Mike Ruddock’s side are gunning for their first Grand Slam in 27 years while Ireland can yet taste RBS 6 Nations glory and Triple Crown success at the Millennium Stadium.

The Irish were touted as pre-tournament favourites but it is Wales who have lit up the championship with some exhilarating play that has swept all before them.

Their attacking style ensures few begrudge their success and O’Driscoll has readily expressed his admiration for a team which tops the try-scoring chart by some margin.

But the Leinster centre and likely British Lions captain for the summer tour to New Zealand insists Wales’ resurgence has not caused too much concern around the Irish camp.

He said: “It looks as though this is best Welsh side I will have faced. The Welsh nation thrives on confidence.

“Winning becomes a habit and that’s what has happened to them in this competition.

“They have played some magnificent rugby – the first half against Scotland was a pleasure to watch.

“There were some obvious defensive frailties in the Scottish team, but the Welsh were still magnificent. Their linking of backs and forwards was fantastic.

“They have some very skilful players who bring that element of unpredictability to the field. The further they go through the phases the more unstructured they become.

“But you can say that about many teams in world rugby and we’re not overly perplexed by them or what they can throw at us – we’re more interested in what we can throw at them.”

Ireland boast a remarkable record in Cardiff where they have not lost since 1983 and O’Driscoll admits he unable to explain the best away run in Test rugby.

“It’s very hard to understand why we’ve been so successful in Cardiff. I’ve been there twice and the last time was as tight as it gets,” said the 26-year-old, recalling Ronan O’Gara’s injury-time drop-goal which settled the contest two years ago.

“I can’t put my finger on what gives us the edge there, while on the other hand we couldn’t win in Edinburgh for many years.

“It’s only a matter of time until Wales beat us in Cardiff, but I hope the record lasts for at least 13 more years.”

Ireland’s own Grand Slam dream was shattered by France, who clinched a nail-biting 26-19 victory at Lansdowne Road last Saturday.

Eddie O’Sullivan’s men looked dead and buried at half-time, trailing 18-9 and preparing to play the second half against a strong wind and a hugely impressive Les Bleus outfit.

But they fought back with O’Driscoll’s 72nd-minute try sweeping them to within three points of success, only for France to cross through Christophe Dominici late on to seal the win.

It was a heartbreaking result for the Irish who were visibly struck by the conclusion of their Grand Slam ambitions and their character will be tested to the full as they attempt to bounce back on Saturday.

O’Driscoll said: “We’ve reflected on the game because we can’t just sweep how we performed under the carpet.

“Considering how we did under-perform a little, it was to our credit that we managed to get within two points of France.

“It has been a knock to our confidence but we haven’t over-reacted to it. We lost by seven points to a good France team.

“We haven’t become a bad side overnight. I expect us to bounce back on Saturday and put in a great performance against the Welsh.”