Euro 2025: ‘It’d be huge’ – Wales aim for history after beating Slovakia

Republic of Ireland secured an emphatic 9-0 aggregate win over Georgia to book their place in the play-off final.

And while they should provide a far sterner test that Slovakia, former Wales striker Helen Ward believes Wales can be confident ahead of the double header.

“It’s going to be a much tougher ask against the Republic of Ireland,” she said on BBC Radio Wales.

“You’d expect they’ll come with a game plan, but it’s certainly a game Wales will look to and think they can win.

“We’ve got a to and fro record against them over the years, won a few and of course that game earlier this year where we beat them was a great performance.

“If we perform like we did then we stand a very good chance.”

New boss Wilkinson watched from the stands as Wales defeated Ireland 2-0 in Dublin in a friendly in February.

But former Wales full-back Kath Morgan expects Wilkinson’s side to be on the back foot far more in the upcoming contests with Ireland.

“When we beat the Republic of Ireland that wasn’t their first team, November will be completely different,” Morgan told Radio Cymru.

“We’re not used to playing teams above us since Gemma Grainger was in charge.

“We will be the team sitting in the low block come November, trying to defend as a unit and that’s perhaps something we’re not as used to.”