LIFT the gloom which is hanging over the nation - that is the challenge facing the Welsh rugby team tomorrow when they go for their first win in Ireland for six years.

Wales is still in shock from the sensational departure of coach Mike Ruddock less than halfway through the Six Nations tournament and less than a year after they won the Grand Slam for the first time for 27 years.

Twists and turns have followed faster than any soap opera.

* Ruddock gave notice of his intention to quit at the end of the Six Nations but was stood down immediately and replaced by assistant Scott Johnson

* Ruddock requested a meeting with the WRU board to give his version of events

* Wales captain Gareth Thomas gave an impassioned interview on TV only to be taken to hospital afterwards with a damaged artery in his neck which will rule him out for the season

* The WRU board unanimously backed chief executive Steve Lewis' handling of the affair

* Angry clubs are still demanding an EGM after refusing to accept assurances from Lewis and chairman David Pickering that they acted properly.

Welsh rugby is in disarray and it's all a far cry from the last time Wales met Ireland on a balmy March day when they clinched that Grand Slam triumph to send the country into ecstasy.

Now there is a great deal of frustration and disbelief that it could all have gone so wrong so quickly.

There is one way to answer this, for the time being at least, and that is by Wales upsetting the odds, putting all the troubles on the back burner and landing a victory over Ireland at Lansdowne Road - even though they are without their captain plus Shane Williams and a host of other leading players.

With home games to come against Italy and France, Wales can still win the Six Nations title for the second year running so it's still all to play for.

That really would put a smile on the faces of Welsh fans again. But as we showed in a straw poll of Gwent clubs yesterday, there is still widespread dissatisfaction and welcome though a win in Ireland would be tomorrow, the Ruddockgate scandal isn't going away and an EGM is still on the cards for April or May.