“He’s a talent with some engine”- Dan Lydiate on Welsh stars record-breaking performance

Tuesday, 10 March 2026 at 19:23

byHarry Tovey

Wales assistant coach Dan Lydiate stated that Cardiff Rugby’s Alex Mann's performance against Ireland in Dublin was ‘unbelievable’.

The flanker produced a record-breaking 32 tackles in Wales’ spirited 27-17 loss at Aviva Stadium. Mann set a new record in the tournament after surpassing the previous record of 31, held by both Guilhem Guirado and Luke Charteris.

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The flanker was Wales’ best player throughout the encounter, as the blind-side worked tirelessly throughout.

“He’s a talent with some engine,” said former Wales back-row player Lydiate.

“His stats from the weekend are unbelievable. He broke the record for tackles. You’ve got to have the will to put your body in front of them.

“It was pleasing. We’d like to have the ball more. We want to be scoring more. It’s a tough place to go. The boys put their bodies on the line.”

Since shipping 102 points in their opening two contests of the championship, Lydiate’s side's defence has vastly improved. Dafydd Jenkins (82) and Alex Mann (75) are top of the Six Nations tackle stats.

On the improvements shown, he added: “We’d like to have the ball a bit more and be scoring points, but the boys put their bodies on the line for the jersey, and you can’t ask for much more than that.

“It’s a collision sport, and there is no shying away from that.

“The boys are putting in some big shifts, and there is a lot of unseen work that is creating a good vibe and feeling.

“It’s contagious, and you’ve got to want to do it and love doing it, because it’s tough to keep throwing yourself in.

“You are sore and banged up a couple of days afterwards, but that’s what Test rugby is about.”

Wales face Italy on Saturday following the side’s first-ever win over England at Stadio Olimpico last weekend.

Steve Tandy’s side enter the contest on the back of 15 consecutive defeats in the championship, and if they are to lose on Saturday afternoon at Principality Stadium, they will go three Six Nations campaigns without a win.

However, Lydiate insisted that Wales can take encouragement from outings against both Scotland and Ireland into the encounter against the Azzurri.

“You don’t go into any game thinking you’re going to lose,” the 38-year-old added.

"It’s about the journey Steve talks about, backing up performances. If we keep moving on the right trajectory, we’re miles apart from where we were at the start.

“But we can’t think it’ll look after itself. We’ll challenge the boys.

“Italy are a really good outfit.”

Can you name all of the Guinness Six Nations winning captains?

In the storied history of Rugby's Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.

Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.

Surnames only will be accepted.