Ireland's Women's Six Nations campaign has hit a critical juncture, and assistant coach Alan O'Connor knows exactly what needs to change: clinical precision in the final third. After a frustrating 26-7 defeat to France last month—a game where Ireland dominated the first half but only managed to level the score at 7-7—the team is hungry to turn potential into points.

"We got close to the line around 12 times in that first half, but we just weren't clinical enough," O'Connor admitted. "Building on that, we just need to be more clinical."

The Irish squad used the tournament's fallow week to regroup and refocus, holding two intensive training sessions. Now, they're setting their sights on a crucial home clash against Wales at Affidea Stadium this Saturday (18:30 BST, live on BBC One Wales, BBC Two NI & BBC iPlayer).

Ireland's tournament has been a mixed bag so far: a tough 33-12 loss to England, a dominant 57-20 victory over Italy, and that heartbreaker against France. With away wins over England or France now off the table, the team has a golden opportunity to finish strong with a perfect home record. After Wales, they'll face Scotland at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

O'Connor, who joined Scott Bemand's coaching staff in January after 13 years with Ulster, is already making his mark. At 33, he's transitioning from a playing career that never earned him a Test cap for the men's team to finding his coaching voice with the women's side—and he's loving every minute of it. "The girls are great. There's a lot of passion for the badge," he said.

So what's the game plan against Wales? O'Connor wants to see more variety in attack. "I think we can move the ball maybe a bit more as a forward pack and get more short passes in our game," he explained. "Wales' strength would probably be the set-piece. They're good at the breakdown, so we need to make sure we're on the money there."

With the crowd behind them and a renewed focus on finishing chances, Ireland has everything to play for. The message from the coaching staff is clear: create opportunities, execute ruthlessly, and bring that fight to the final whistle. This Saturday, it's all about turning promise into performance.