Wales assistant Rob Howley has defended Warren Gatland against Irish claims he has the ‘ intellectual properties of a tub of Flora ’ . Gatland was subjected to a bitter personal attack by 36-cap lock and outspoken columnist Neil Francis , who accused the Kiwi of ‘ shameful nepotism ’ by selecting 10 Wales players for the final Test on the 2013 Lions tour . Francis added that Gatland was focused on improving his contract negotiations with the WRU at the time , prompting Howley to label the verbal barbs as ‘ disappointing ’ and ‘ unfair ’ . Warren Gatland prepares his Wales team for Saturday 's Six Nations clash against Ireland . Wales coach Gatland was subjected to a personal attack by former Ireland player Neil Francis . How Wales and Ireland will line up for the Six Nations match on Saturday . ‘ You have to experience the Lions to understand the Lions , ’ said Howley . ‘ I ’ m not too sure if Neil Francis was a Lion . ‘ The wonderful thing about rugby is everyone has their opinion about how the game should be played and there are personalities within the game . ‘ When it becomes personal it is disappointing . The game is bigger than that . For someone to have an individual criticism and a personal snipe at someone who has won a Lions series , been involved in Six Nations Grand Slams and championships , is disappointing . We don ’ t need comments like that . It is a personal attack and totally unfair. ’ Francis faced Wales four times for Ireland in the 1990s and was involved in a famous bust-up in 1992 with Tony Copsey , who knocked the forward off his feet with a right hook . ‘ Neil was a very capable player and wasn ’ t someone to wind up the opposition , ’ recalled Copsey . ‘ We got on very well off the field , but he has always liked a controversial comment as a pundit. ’ Since Francis played his final Test in 1996 , Wales have managed just two wins over the Irish in Cardiff . Gatland was accused of having the 'intellectual properties of a tub of flora ' by Francis . Wales assistant Rob Howley leapt to the defence of Gatland , labelling the barbs 'disappointing ' and 'unfair ' Gatland has endured a prickly relationship with the Irish media — being compared to a ‘ menopausal warthog ’ in 2010 — and is hoping to silence his critics in Saturday ’ s Test at the Millennium Stadium . The 51-year-old , who coached Ireland between 1998 and 2001 , has refused to engage in a war of words this week and has instead praised Joe Schmidt ’ s team , laying the pressure on their doorstep . He has bypassed the ‘ challenge ’ of playing under a closed roof , with Howley confirming on Thursday that Wales will break with tradition and keep it open . The decision has avoided the sideshow that preceded Wales ’ s opening fixture against England , whose defeat in Dublin last week has been studied by the Welsh coaches . Gatland was also accused of ‘ shameful nepotism ’ by selecting 10 Wales players for the final Lions Test , 2013 . Howley sais Wales will be looking to dominate possession and territory against Ireland . ‘ Watching Ireland against England was similar to our game at Twickenham last year , ’ revealed Howley . ‘ The things we need to dominate are territory and possession . That ’ s key against Ireland and they will be looking at those stats as well . ‘ If you ’ ve got possession , then you don ’ t have to fight the aerial battle and the astute tactical kicking by Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton . Over the last four or five years the aerial battle has been a significant technical part of the game . It ’ s about winning the sky and we ’ re happy with where we ’ re at in terms of that battle. ’ Sexton ’ s kicking game was one of Ireland ’ s most potent weapons in Dublin but the No 10 has since been struggling with a hamstring injury . He has been named in Ireland ’ s starting XV and Wales will be hoping the 29-year-old is a yard off the pace following his setback . Neil Francis represented Ireland 36 times during his career and is now an outspoken columnist . He will be joined in the line-up by Lions No 8 Jamie Heaslip , with the Leinsterman completing a remarkable return to fitness after breaking three vertebrae in his back only last month . Heaslip completes a powerful back row alongside Peter O ’ Mahony and Sean O ’ Brien , who developed a close relationship with fellow farmer and Wales flanker Dan Lydiate on the 2013 Lions tour , which drew criticism from Francis . Lydiate — a strong campaigner against falling butter and milk prices — knows he will have to be at his chop-tackling best against the 28-year-old flanker . ‘ Sean ’ s not easy to stop and it ’ s about slowing him down before he gets going , ’ said Lydiate . ‘ We got on quite well on the Lions tour and we ’ d always chat about farming with Tom Youngs and Rory Best . Sean ’ s sponsored by Massey-Ferguson and it ’ s only recently that I ’ ve been sponsored by JCB . ‘ That ’ s something we can chat about after the game , but we ’ ll be giving blood , sweat and tears come the match . ’
Neil Francis subjected to bitter personal attack by columnist Gatland . Wales assistant Rob Howley leapt to the defence of colleague Neil Francis . Wales will play Ireland with the roof open at the Millennium Stadium .