It seems fitting Warren Gatland’s first game back as Wales head coach is against old foes and friends Ireland.

He faces a nation he enjoyed highs and lows with, the most controversial moment perhaps when he dropped legend Brian O’Driscoll for the deciding third British and Irish Lions Test in 2013 against Australia.

“Having lived in Ireland for many years, we’ve still got some great friends back there,” said Gatland.

“Despite what people have said about certain stories about Brian O’Driscoll and those sorts of things and myself leaving there, I am indebted to Irish rugby for the experiences they gave me, first of all as a player-coach with Galwegians, then as a very young coach with Connacht and then obviously four years with the national team.

“They gave me my first real opportunity and without those chances and experiences I wouldn’t have been lucky enough to have had the success I’ve had, whether it was with Wasps, back in New Zealand with Waikato, or with Wales.

“It’s very special, but there is definitely a rivalry because both teams are desperate to win the match.”

Gatland also left Ireland captain Johnny Sexton out of the 2021 Lions tour of South Africa after selecting the fly-half in 2013 and 2017.

“I can remember Jonny once having a crack at the forwards and Paul O’Connell just turned away, he didn’t answer Jonny back and said, “I’m going to kill him one of these days!” recalled Gatland.

“He’s so vocal, demanding and has such high expectations, that’s what drives him.

“He has been playing some great rugby in the last year or so.

“It was a big decision for him to be left out of the last Lions tour and that was a tough call.

“He has probably proved to me in terms of the way he has been playing and the way he has been leading as a player for Ireland.

“He should be proud of that in terms of what he has achieved in the game because it is special.

“He will go down as one of the great players of Irish rugby when he does decide to hang up his boots.”

Gatland will face an Irish side who are top of the world under Andy Farrell, a man who has been in Gatland’s Lions backroom staff on two occasions.

“I am not surprised at all,” said Gatland.

“Having worked with him on a couple of tours, I think he’s got a great understanding of what a good culture is and what a winning culture is.

“Having come from his rugby league background and his experiences with Saracens and England and then going on to become head coach, his understanding of that is important.

“You’re able to encompass all those elements to get a culture where you can get the best out of your players. He’s definitely got the skill and ability to be able to do that.”

Farrell and Sexton’s methods have resulted in Ireland rising to the number-one ranking, a place Wales held briefly under Gatland before the 2019 World Cup.

“When that happens, there are games you win ugly and you find a way to win and they’ve done that,” said Gatland.

“There were probably one or two games in the autumn when they were under a little bit of pressure and they could have lost or it could have gone the other way.

“But they knew how to close the game down and manage it. We’ve had that experience in 2018 and 2019 with Wales.

“We went through that 14 matches unbeaten and the thing about that is you’ve got a team that has composure, takes their moment, and is able to manage games. That’s probably the Irish team at the moment.”

That means Ireland are there to be toppled with Wales having the first opportunity this weekend.

“I suppose the free hit for us is the expectation and pressure is on them to win as favourites,” added Gatland.

“It hasn’t always been the easiest tag for Irish and Welsh teams in the past to carry going in as the favourites.

“You can get an upset because there is a huge amount of history and rivalry between those two nations and there’s been a lot of close games.

“The secret, and I’m sure Andy will be talking about this, is that you don’t run away from that, you look to embrace the expectations of being the number one team in the world.

“That’s definitely the attitude I’d be taking if I was in the Ireland camp. I’ve had that experience in the past with Wales, having to handle the favourites’ tag.

“For us, it is focusing on ourselves for this weekend and putting things in place that we’ve been working on in the last couple of weeks.

“You get such a short amount of preparation in the Six Nations and obviously with new coaches and a new squad that is challenging. But I’ve been pleased the way the players have applied themselves both on and off the field in terms of preparation.”

Gatland has admitted a special rivalry has developed between Wales and Ireland.

“The history of Wales versus Ireland, what always keeps coming back from the Irish players is that often they comfortably beat Welsh players from a regional point of view with the Irish provinces,” he added.

“But that these same Welsh players turn into different specimens when they put that red shirt on, with what it means to them. That’s what we need to demonstrate on Saturday.”