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Six Nations 2013: Wales are excited to be back playing again - George North

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The boys are stoked to be back. Last year certainly brought its extreme highs and lows, and it has been a long wait to get here again.

Our biggest issue is being ambushed in the first 20 minutes because we’re not getting up to the speed of a Test match quickly enough. It happened first in Australia and then in the autumn. Once we do crank up the tempo, we’ve shown we can put the pressure on the best teams in the world. We have to find that gear in the first minute.

Our form may not suggest it, and everyone might be queuing up to write us off, but we are the defending Grand Slam champions. We’ve had our blows, and it has only brought us closer together.

Good to be back: George North is pleased to be back in action with the Wales squad

There is nothing we want more. People can talk about the Lions all they like, but for us as a team, it is only about the three feathers and the Six Nations. We’ve had two absolutely gruelling weeks of training so the boys are in tip-top physical condition.

There has been no trip to Poland, but that hasn’t made life any easier. With all the snow and cold here, it was like training in a cryotherapy chamber anyway. We’ve done everything we need to do to be ready.

Ireland versus Wales is always a meeting of two teams who want to play ambitious, running rugby and who share a similar philosophy. It will hopefully make it a spectacle.

It’s a funny old fixture list for us this campaign. We play the opening game at home in Cardiff and then we don’t play at the Millennium Stadium again until the last game six weeks later. In between, we play all the blue teams away from home.

Making their bow: Ireland have picked Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy because of their good form

I’ve done it once before and it isn’t easy to win those games, but Paris, Edinburgh and Rome are fantastic places to play. Ireland have picked two wingers who have been on fire for their regions. Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy do not yet have any Six Nations experience but have been picked for their fabulous form.

Brian O’Driscoll also returns to the back line. He is exceptional in attack and defensively he acts like an extra flanker.

It’s going to be a hell of a competition in that midfield, with Jamie Roberts and Jon Davies taking on Gordon D’Arcy and O’Driscoll — you’ll be able to hear the collisions from space.

Mark Jones has been a great addition to the Wales set-up as attack coach. I’ve trained with him at the region and he will be great for the back line. He has brought in new theory and opinion, and that fresh input can only help when you are trying to get every last percentage.

He has only recently retired so he knows the modern game inside out. In the autumn, we lost games because we lost the physical battle. That’s what the England team did against New Zealand — they were more physical at the breakdown and the world champions couldn’t cope.

Ready to go: Wales are looking forward to their Six Nations defence

Physicality has to be a minimum, then it comes down to doing your job clinically. If you’re not running a line in the move, you have to be doing something to help your team.

I’ve set myself two New Year resolutions. The first is to work to try to become a better all-round player. The second is to reply to more fans on Twitter. Everyone is aware there are a few to ignore on Twitter.

However, there are so many good people who get behind the team, and it means the world to us. Without their support, we’d be nowhere.

Ireland have many weapons and we’ve done our research. Their full back Rob Kearney has a monster left boot so they can turn defence into attack.

The Irish forwards always front up really well, and their strike power in attack is huge. We’ve got to defend, then try to give them a taste of their own medicine.

With Leigh Halfpenny talking about his claustrophobia this week, phobias have been on the agenda. I’m not scared of much … except moths. They freak me out, as the devil’s butterfly. It must be in the family blood — my sister is scared of them, too. Are you a butterfly or a spider? Make your mind up! They look absolutely disgusting.

  More... Halfpenny in for a pound! None shall pass Wales' fearless tackler in Six Nations title defence Skipper Sam holds off Tipuric to stay at openside for Wales



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