Sam Warburton is set to captain Wales for a record 34th time in the RBS 6 Nations showdown against Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday. Nik Simon talks to Warburton and Wales wing legend Shane Williams about the game which could decide the Six Nations Championship. Nik Simon: You'll become Wales's most-capped captain on Saturday. What's the secret? Sam Warburton: I take it with a pinch of salt because there are more games now than 30 years ago. Warren Gatland put his faith in me when I was quite young and he's stuck with me. Before I took up the role, some people said 'If someone's out of line, then you have to give it to them'. Rather than the Roy Keane approach, and as a Spurs fan, I like to compare myself to Ledley King. Sportsmail's Nik Simon speaks to Wales captain Sam Warburton and former Test winger Shane Williams . Warburton (left) is set to captain Wales for a record 34th time against Ireland in Cardiff on Saturday . Former Wales and Lions winger Williams believes his Warburton's side are still in the running for the title . Simon: Ryan Jones previously held the record, how do the two compare? Shane Williams: To be captain, you have to be well liked by the players. Warburton came in at the latter stage of my career and was much younger than me, so it was a little strange to have him as captain. But he impressed me straight away and, like Ryan, he trained hard and played hard. Simon: Wales are still in the running for the championship despite losing to England in round one. Are there shades of 2013? Warburton: It's going that way. Our experience in 2013 has given us the belief that we can do it. It was tough then because all the Wales teams previously had won a Grand Slam. Ryan sat us down and gave us the belief that we needed. We've had our one lifeline but we've got the motivation that it's still possible. Williams: Fate is always in your hands with the Six Nations, that's what makes it special. It's an open championship. Ireland are favourites to win in Cardiff but you can't write anyone off — one result can change everything. Simon: Jonathan Sexton ran the show against England. How much of a threat is he? Warburton: If I'm being honest, I didn't see the game live because I was watching Tottenham v Chelsea in the Capital One Cup final. I flicked back and forth to see the rugby score. But Johnny is a massive part of the Irish team. His attention to detail impressed me on the Lions tour and he knew every move so intricately. He deserves to be known as one of the best players in the world. Ryan Jones (centre) previously held the record for Wales's most-capped captain . Simon: How do you defend against Sexton and Conor Murray's kicking game? Williams: The game is changing and there's a massive focus on rugby league style kicks. When I saw the state of Tommy Bowe at the end last week, he had chased a lot of kicks and was very tired. It helps being six-foot plus when you're taking high balls. Dan Biggar is one of the best in the world at kicking the ball in the air, running 40 yards, and catching it. It sounds easy but it's such a big part of the game now. Simon: Who would you select in the Welsh back-three? Williams: Defensively, Leigh Halfpenny is the best full back in the world. George North is my first-choice winger because he's such a talented footballer. On the other wing I would keep Liam Williams, who's the form player in Wales. Scott Baldwin and Luke Charteris were both very good in the pack against France — especially with the 100 per cent lineout — and I wouldn't make any changes for the weekend… if it isn't broken don't fix it! Fly half Jonathan Sexton (right) has been superb for Ireland during this years's tournament . Simon: Can the Welsh half-backs match the Irish? Williams: I've been very impressed with Biggar and Rhys Webb. They've made those positions theirs at the moment and they are able to take pressure off each other through their time management and kicking games. It helps that they've been together at Ospreys and they will have to be on top of their game against Murray and Sexton, because they're the world's in-form combination. Simon: England were blitzed at the breakdown in Dublin, are you putting extra focus on that area? Warburton: Out of all the Six Nations teams I've played against, Ireland have been the most effective at the breakdown. I've not been rewarded as much at the breakdown as I was last year. I haven't made as many turnovers as I would have liked. The post-tackle stuff is always an add-on after training and Shaun Edwards always barks at us when we're doing it. It's key to our game plan. Simon: Ireland have lost just twice in Cardiff in 32 years, why are they so successful? Williams: In the nicest possible way, they take an arrogant approach and expect to win every game. They've had players like Paul O'Connell, Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara, who have been able to win these kind of games. They have belief and mental toughness. When they're playing well, they build up confidence and are a very tough team to stop. Wales head coach Warren Gatland (centre) will be pitting his wits against fellow Kiwi Joe Schmidt this week . Simon: What's the key to countering that record? Warburton: Like every international match, there are three areas: set piece, breakdown, kicking game. If you can come out on top in two of those three then that's probably going to be the key. I think the breakdown and the kicking game will be the two key areas against Ireland. We're back at our own little nest in the Vale and we're back at home. After two wins, confidence is high. Simon: Warren Gatland vs Joe Schmidt will be an interesting coaching battle — how do the two Kiwis compare? Williams: They both stick to the game plan they want to play. Schmidt uses the players as a tool to work out how Ireland are going to play, rather than trying to fit them into a certain game-plan. Warren Gatland is very similar. Warren's got a great way with people. He gets the best out of his players by taking the mick out of them. I used to come off the field and, with a glint in his eye, he would say 'oh you were rubbish today!'. He loves the wind-up and he loves getting his players going. Schmidt is very straight down the line. He says it as it is and gets the best out of his players by being honest. They're different personalities but they're both hugely successful. Wales winger George North makes a strong carry during his side's victory against France in Paris . Simon: Wales are still in the running… How much of a World Cup confidence boost would it be to win the Six Nations? Warburton: I don't think the Six Nations will have much bearing on the World Cup. In 2011 that wasn't the case. The Six Nations didn't reflect our World Cup campaign. Last year's autumn campaign finished well for us but that didn't transfer into the first game against England. I don't think there's much of a trend with Wales. The most important period will be the three months we're together in the summer. We'll treat that like a pre-season. Sam Warburton and Shane Williams are Ambassadors for GUINNESS, Official Partner of Welsh Rugby. To view GUINNESS' 'Made of More' rugby campaign, celebrating the Integrity and character of heroes from the game, visit www.youtube.com/GUINNESSEurope.
Sam Warburton will captain Wales for a record 34th time on Saturday . Former Ospreys No 8 Ryan Jones previously held the record . Wales are still in the running for the championship despite their round one loss to England in Cardiff . Jonathan Sexton cited as key player to Ireland's cause on Saturday . Shane Williams believes Liam Williams should keep his place in the side .