Two years can feel like a lifetime in sports, and for Scott Bemand and his young Ireland squad, it's been nothing short of a transformation. When Ireland last hosted Wales, Bemand was still chasing his first win as head coach, taking over a team that had just finished dead last in the Six Nations. Fast forward to today, and the story is entirely different—Ireland cruised to a comfortable victory over Wales, now sitting pretty in third place with room to breathe.

"It all started with belief," Bemand reflects. "When I first came in, that first season was about getting the girls to believe they could actually be good. To give themselves permission to be brave and know they can perform under pressure."

That mindset shift has been the foundation of Ireland's rise. "Now, two years later, they know they can be good. The challenge has evolved—it's about executing when the pressure dials up and down."

While France and England prepare to battle for the Six Nations title next weekend, Ireland has quietly established itself as a rising force. Their second win of the campaign—a dominant 57-20 victory over Italy, who sit just below them in fourth—shows a team finding its rhythm.

"We're starting to handle bigger occasions and bigger pressure," Bemand says. "With that comes more expectation, but that's exactly where we want to be. The next step is converting that belief and confidence into consistent results."

The trajectory is clear: upward and hungry. "We're still hungry to get better," Bemand adds. "We'll get there, and the quicker we do, the better."

But there's no denying the road ahead. Ireland has never beaten France or England, and Bemand is candid about the challenge. "We want to be in games where we're in a position to beat them. Are we there yet? This competition has shown we're not—but we're closing the gap."

For a young squad still finding its identity, the progress is undeniable. The belief is there. The results are coming. And the hunger? It's only growing stronger.