Two Quick Points - Ref and Points Difference

Two quick points around which there is some confusion.

1) The ref is Wayne Barnes, and not Steve Walsh.

2) Wales only need to win by 13 to win the Championship.

Steve Walsh was the original ref appointed but has been stood down from refereeing after a disciplinary incident at a Southern Hempisphere coaching seminar that took place quite early in the day....

The rather more amiable Barnes, who was a linesman last week against Scotland, steps in.

Barnes is tough at the breakdown but probably fairer on a case by case basis at the breakdown than Jonathan Kaplan, who can't see beyond a rather mean spirited literal and pernickety interpretation of the laws (is it just me, or is Kaplan one of those refs who kind of hates players? As if he reckons they mess up what would otherwise be a wonderfully ordered game.....).

Forward passes - and not just the famous RWC 2007 Quarter-Final France v New Zealand one - and general 'difficult spots' are not a strength of Barnes' though.....(and he quite often wears runners).

The points thing arises from the fact that Ireland are +46 to Wales' +21 in the table.

An unassailable 25 point lead surely!? 

Unfortunately no. If Wales win, each point they are ahead by at the end would add one to their total and take one off Ireland's.

So they need to win by 13 to overhaul that deficit.