Head coach Joe Schmidt has admitted that he has got some tricks up his sleeve as Ireland prepares for Saturday's clash with Six Nations champions Wales.

The visit of the defending champions is likely to make-or-break Ireland's bid for silverware in Schmidt's first season in charge.

But the former Leinster coach has revealed that the players have been working on some moves that they hope will be able to expose the Welsh defence.

"It's pretty hard to pinpoint the weaknesses. Man for man, they are a very big side so trying to go through them doesn't get a lot of success. We're going to have to be fairly smart about the way we play and we've obviously got a few things that we're going to try and implement on Saturday," said Schmidt. 

Paul O'Connell expects Wales to be direct but also believes that Warren Gatland will also add an element of subtlety. 

"It almost looks more direct than it is because there's so much animation going on in the background to puill defenders away and pull centres' eyes away. That's what happened with the try at the weekend. They were really well worked moves that essentially looked like Jamie Roberts going up the middle but in fact it's anything but," said O'Connell.

There are two changes to the team for Saturday with O'Connell and Gordon D'Arcy returning from illness.

Image: Head coach Joe Schmidt ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan