A crucial TMO decision went against Wales as Owen Farrell and Co. condemned Warren Gatland’s side to their first defeat of this year’s NatWest 6 Nations. If Wales want to get themselves back in contention for a fourth title in 10 years they will have to get back to winning ways in Dublin next weekend.
Wales have not been defeated in Dublin since 2014, and Howley is confident they can extend their unbeaten run.
“We know we can compete with Ireland,” said Howley. “Our recent results show that. A lot of our players are familiar with the Irish players, and go there with a great chance of putting them under pressure.
“I love going to Dublin, the players enjoy it and you’re up against one of the best sides in the world. There’s a lot of experience that didn’t play on the weekend, but there’s also the opportunity for the players to learn from Twickenham.
“Those players now know what it’s like to go toe to toe with the second-best side in world rugby. We played some good rugby second-half and we weren’t rewarded, really, on the scoreboard.”
Wales have shown their mettle despite missing a host of experienced internationals in the opening rounds. Leigh Halfpenny missed out on selection with a foot infection, but should be bak in contention for the Ireland game.
Liam Williams played an hour for Saracens while Taulupe Faletau and Dan Biggar will also return to full training this week.
“We’ve got three games left, two at home and a huge challenge in Dublin,” added Howley. “If you only lose one game, the past has shown you can still go on and win the championship.
“There’s a lot of experience that wasn’t available for the weekend. We’ve dealt really well with players dropping out. Losing Leigh was obviously a blow, but we trust the players that we selected and they certainly didn’t let us down.
