Ireland back-row Peter O'Mahony has warned his team-mates that they'll need to produce their most consistent Six Nations performance to date to beat Wales on Saturday.
Joe Schmidt's men needed a last-second drop goal to win in France and conceded three tries in what was still a 37-point victory over Italy.
After Wales' first-round demolition job against Scotland and unlucky loss to England last time out, O'Mahony knows Ireland will need to find a higher gear to keep their title ambitions on track at the Aviva Stadium.
"You're kicking in to the business end now," he told RTÉ Sport. "We've got to get a consistency of performance.
"We're putting 40 minutes together here, 20 there, 60 maybe against Italy but we've got to get that consistency across the board to beat a team as good as Wales."
The Munster man takes heart from the fact that Ireland are still unbeaten despite seemingly playing below their potential.
"We've two games under our belt but we have a long list of things we can get better at, which is very focusing," he said.
"We've won two games where we haven't been there for 80 minutes in both of them.
"It is a source of frustration but you gain a bit of confidence out of the fact that you've won two games and there's still a lot in the tank.
"That's what we've got to try and unlock this week."
O'Mahony expects Wales coach Gatland, who made him captain for the first Lions test in New Zealand before dropping him from the matchday squad for the remainder of the series, to have a few tricks up his sleeve.
"We know he's a good coach and what his players are capable of doing so that's what we've got to try and negate at the weekend.
"They'll have a good plan and will be coming over to upset our rhythm and get stuck into us
"They've given their forwards real licence to play ball and have that Scarlets look about them, the way they're attacking and pushing the ball wide. They can certainly punish you if you don't get things right.
"You're going to be a lot of defending and putting yourself under pressure so it's important that we're very focused and clinical when we do have the ball."
Ireland have not beaten Wales in the Six Nations since 2014 and some closely fought battles have helped to forge an intense rivalry in recent times.
"Every time we play it seems to be pivotal," reflected O'Mahony. "There's always a moment in the game, one action that wins the whole thing and it's so tight for 80 minutes.
"I imagine it's going to be the same again this weekend."
Follow Ireland v Wales on Saturday (KO 2.15pm) via the live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the News Now App, or listen live on RTÉ Radio 1, with commentary from Michael Corcoran and Donal Lenihan.
