With Ireland claiming only their second Grand Slam in their history, their victory begs the question: who will be remembered as the best Irish players of this Grand Slam side?
In 1948 the star players were the legendary Jack Kyle, Karl Mullen and Mick O’Flanagan.
In 2009 there is only one Irish player I can think of that constantly stood out as Ireland’s match winner: Brian O’Driscoll.
This begs the question: is Brian O’Driscoll back to his best?
It goes without saying that Brian O’Driscoll has been harshly criticized in the past few seasons.
It’s been well documented that Conrad Smith quickly got the better of him in New Zealand last year.
In the 2008 Six Nations O’Driscoll went missing and Ireland performed below expectations at times.
But in this year’s Six Nations O’Driscoll has been invaluable to Ireland winning games.
After the game against England, in which both sides played some poor, poor rugby, I said: “Brian O’Driscoll didn’t produce a vintage performance that he could ala 2001. He didn’t pry open defences with a change of pace, a magical step or by running great angles. But what he did do was stand up and do what had to be done. When a try was needed he performed the duty of a backrower and drove himself over the line. When O’Gara had gone to water, he slotted a drop-goal. When things went to hell for Ireland, he was there to do what was needed to win.”
My opinion is that Brian O’Driscoll isn’t quite the player he was in his prime, but he’s just as valuable.
This view is primarily based on the strong impression O’Driscoll had on me as I recently revisited the tremendous Lions series of 2001.
In short, there was nothing O’Driscoll didn’t have in that series.
If you watch the first Test you’ll see him unlocking the Australian defence – then widely regarded as the world’s finest defensive side – on many, many occasions.
I recall in the 34th minute of the 1st Test how Rob Howley darted down the blind side and offloaded to Brian O’Driscoll, whose magical footwork unlocked the Aussie defence, leaving Owen Finnegan struggle to tackle him in cover defence. Jason Robinson appeared on the outside and O’Driscoll offloaded to him for a simple try.
Just after the halftime break O’Driscoll surpassed his first half effort when he stepped, unexpectedly past Nathan Grey before sweeping past Jeremy Paul. With O’Driscoll running towards the fullback, Matt Burke, and with support on the outside, I think everybody expected him to pass the ball. O’Driscoll dipped his right shoulder, indicating to Burke that he’d pass the ball to his right, before jagging back to his left and sprinting his way to the line, leaving Joe Roff with the unenviable task of trying to catch him.
In the 2nd Test of that series O’Driscoll mounted a tremendous counter-attack when he chipped ahead, sprinted at full pace about 20 metres, and out-jumped George Gregan to take a tremendous up-and-under. From the following ruck, Wilkinson kicked to the corner of the field, forcing Andrew Walker to run the ball out, which set up a line-out for the Lions, from which they scored off a rolling maul.
O’Driscoll clearly marked himself as the standout back of that tour.
I literally couldn’t fault him at the time. His changes of pace were subtle and effective. His footwork was mesmeric. I could look at him as a centre and say, “There’s nothing he doesn’t have.”
He was simply tremendous when he toured with the Lions in 2001.
However, despite my opinion that O’Driscoll isn’t quite as good as he was in 2001, he is arguably as valuable as he’s ever been and in that sense he’s beginning to remind me of Tana Umaga (golly that comment will anger some New Zealanders).
As Umaga began to lose some of his pace, he arguably became more important to New Zealand. He was more important because of his captaincy, his defence at #13 (the most difficult position to read the opposition’s attack from), and his ability to be that extra link-man.
O’Driscoll has found a way to be effective and invaluable despite not possessing some of his earlier traits.
O’Driscoll may not have the pace and footwork he did in 2001. But in terms of having a big match temperament, I think he is comparable to England’s Rob Andrew.
Whatever criticisms the Australian public may have of Andrew (which generally focus upon the amount of times he kicked the ball), when England were in a tight situation, you’d trust him to do the responsible percentage thing to do.
Against England I thought O’Driscoll was the only played who truly stood up to the pressure of a close game.
Against Wales he again performed the duty of a back rower and drove himself over the line. Without doing anything flashy or spectacular, O’Driscoll won Ireland games by doing what had to be done.
I think it’s a mark of a great player that O’Driscoll is finding ways to adapt and be useful despite not possessing all his trademark talents.
His capacity to read close games and his big match temperament make him an ideal captain for the 2009 British Lions.
Knives Out
Guest
"PS - O’Connell didn’t give away 3 points, KO. It was O’Callaghan for his little handbag with Phillips that I referred to earlier. O’Connell protested - rightly - at the harshness of the decision, since the slagging/sledging went on all match." Fair do's, Pot. Apparently Buckley has been quite unwell and he's only just recovering. If a man of that size can be utilised then that would be a huge advantage. I like Hurley, he's solid, but with so many full backs around he'll have to excel. I'm a fan of Murphy. He's never let anybody down and has just been injured at the wrong moments. I'd love to see how he'd fare in the GP. Colin, Healy hasn't been getting a great deal of game time but he has been singled out for a long time now. At some point he will. Ireland need him develop, but then Ireland have a history of not blooding young props: Corrigan, Clohessy, Hayes and Horan were only regular starters when they were in their mid to late 20s.
pothale
Guest
Presumably he will stuff. I actually prefer Hook to Jones - he's more rangy and has a great turn of pace when he wants to use it. He's gone backwards since his debut some years ago. From a club point of view, I'd love for someone like Leinster to snaffle him for a couple of seasons to see how he'd fare. Or even maybe try his hand in the GP or T14. True Tah - I reckon they'd get at least 50,000 into Croker for a grudge match between Leinster v Munster - maybe more depending on how the they're faring in the Magners - they're currently at 1 and 2 though that they may change before the semi-final arrives. They have a rehearsal coming up on 4th April in Thomond Park - if it's anything like last year, the sparks will fly. The Welsh match will look easy in comparison - they were literally tearing lumps out of each other. Leinster have the tougher propsect against Quins in Twickenham. They may suffer from Slam hangover. Contemponi will want to finish on a high before he moves to Toulon - we'll see. The cross-over between GAA and rugby is a danger, but the numbers playing GAA sports far exceeds rugby or soccer - there's a local team in every townland in the country. There's an argument that gaining GAA skills from a young age can be extremely beneficial to playing rugby - particularly around catching high balls, kicking goals and passing/catching. I'd say they're more worried about Australian footy teams taking them, to be honest.
stuff happens
Guest
Pothale, Barry John who writes for a UK newspaper has said more than once that James Hook needs far more game time - he really rates his potential. It's difficult for lesser mortals like me to argue with that! Presumably he'll play for Ospreys against Munster in the Heineken.
True Tah
Guest
Dublin Dave what sort of crowd do you reckon an all-Ireland semi could draw? 80K??? Is the GAA worried about future GAA players deciding to give rugby a go (given the $$$ invovled?) - already Tommy Bowe and Tomas O'Leary have backgrounds in both GAA and rugby and chose rugby?
pothale
Guest
PS - O'Connell didn't give away 3 points, KO. It was O'Callaghan for his little handbag with Phillips that I referred to earlier. O'Connell protested - rightly - at the harshness of the decision, since the slagging/sledging went on all match.
pothale
Guest
KO - you're quite right. The day Hayes hangs up his boots will be a memorable one, and I suspect, like the man he has always been, will want it to happen without any fuss or hoopla. I left out Ross and shouldn't have. Not sure about Buckley or Healy - but like I said they need game time, and experience. Buckley tends to fade quickly, and Healy has struggled to get into games. However, wotsisface Freddie Puck at Munster is heading back to Argentina this year, and should give Buckley more game time next season. Healy ditto with departure of Ollie le Roux and the other wotsisface CJ from SA. (Senility is setting in early after weekend) Barry Murphy has had enough big game time to prove himself - I don't think he's going to make it. Earls certainly, and the newish fullback Denis Hurley maybe in time. And of course, Cave in Ulster is another good prospect, and will eclipse Paddy Wallace who I think has already had his day in the sun. Okay, I feel better now. Roll on the next 6N!! Hopefully, at that stage, Humphreys might have started to follow in the footsteps of his brother.
Colin N
Guest
O'Connell was superb and my MOTM, but the problem with a few of the young Irish players is they're not getting regular first team games. Sexton, although talented, has been off-form and shouldn't be anywhere near the Ireland squad, until he can prove himself. I believe Healy has also struggled to get regular first-team games (correct me if I'm wrong). I like Humphreys and he should be introduced into the Ireland squad for up and coming internationals, along with Cave.
Knives Out
Guest
Hayes is definitely playing well, Pothale. That is highlighted by the loss of the maul - his traditional domain. I remember his debut. I'll be sad when he goes. However, to be positive I think Mike Ross - if he is selected - would improve the Irish scrum no end, and Cian Healy has been singled out as a potential test stalwart since his mid teens. Tony Buckley is a real physical giant too, with a great hand off. The real issue is O'Gara, although I do respect Ian Humphreys. The Irish system always produces good players and the centre position, for example, is overflowing: Cave, Earls and Barry Murphy and even Bowe can cover 13. I think O'Driscoll is the man, Stuff. O'Connell gave away a big 3 points with some pointless back chat. O'Driscoll has been the go-to man all tournament. He smashed Henson yesterday and then stole the ball in the 70th (whatever) minute.
stuff happens
Guest
Pothale, as a Welshman I thought O'Connell was outstanding on Sat. and my man of the match; much as I admire BOD.Lead by example; never let the Welsh pack get on top of his lads and how many Welsh throws did the Irish snaffle?
James B
Guest
Whatever way you look at this, it looks like the Boks are going to whitewash the Lions.
pothale
Guest
Grrr indeed. Re-reading this article, I note that Frank asks at the outset who will be the best remembered players of this Grand Slam side. He responds that O'Driscoll is stand-out guy with which I don't disagree. However, I think there are others besides O'Driscoll. Tommy Bowe is another who I think will be remembered for some of his fabulous tackling as well as his try-scoring abilities. He gave Williams a torrid time of it on Saturday. O'Gara will be remembered for his lows and highs. His performance against England has tended to overshadow some incisive moments in the games against France, as well as his delightful chip-kick for Bowe and his final drop-kick against Wales. For a guy who was barracked from one end of the tournament to the other, he wasn't too shabby. Paul O'Connell had a standout performance in the line-out against Wales, and his performance and leadership through the five matches was up there with the best. Still a prospect for Lions captaincy in my view. Heaslip waxed and waned despite his tries against France and Scotland - his injury departure on Saturday means he'll probably get a better chance to shine in the future - possibly with the Lions in the summer. John Hayes is 35 - he spent Saturday taking the ball into contact and making himself look more lively this championship than he's done, even in Munster's colours in the HCup. Finally, I think Wallace is immense and spends a lot of time in the dirt on his team's behalf. Played out of his skin on Saturday. Despite that, in ten years time, or even twenty, I suspect a lot of people will be able to remember quite a few players on this team. For good and bad. Bad because my heart tells me I'd love to see these guys play in the next WC, but my head tells me they won't last - a bit like the England team after '03. In fact, I wouldn't rate our chances very high in the next 6N compared to teams like England or Wales. (OK and France if they bother to turn up.) Right now, we don't have enough blooded good guys in the locker to cover some of the key positions that will either inevitably be vacated through age or suddenly be open because of injury - Hayes, Horan, O'Gara, O'Driscoll, O'Connell, Darcy, all come to mind. The sooner people like Earls, Sexton, Humphreys, Court, Healy, and Devlin are brought on the better. Hopefully the H Cup, summer tours and possibly the Autumn internationals will help in that regard.
Knives Out
Guest
Please don't mention Stephen Jones, Pothale. It's embarassing. What a truly hidous team. I noticed in that article that he didn't actually analyse the abilities of certain players, nor did he discuss tactics. All he did was make glib and ignorant comments. 5 "experts" and not one single coach, and yet another article on the supposed British exodus to France. The Times is rolling further and further down the mediocre hill. Grrrr..
Colin N
Guest
Harlequins have lost Nick Evans so I would place Leinster slight favourites. Having said that, despite their back division being one of the most talented in the division, they haven't really hit their stride this season.
Dublin Dave
Guest
True Tah The decision on where an Irish based semifinal will be played has already been taken. It will be at Croke Park. The situation is that the winner of the Munster/Ospreys quarter final will host the winner of the Harlequins/Leinster quarter final in the semis. Under the rules of the Heineken Cup, the "home" team at semifinal level may not hold the match in their usual ground. They may hold it in the same country, province or even city but not at the ground where they have played their other home matches in the tournament. The ground must also be able to accommodate a minimum of, I believe 25,000, people. The only stadia in Ireland capable of holding such a crowd at the moment are GAA stadia and ironically Thomond Park. The new Lansdowne Road, which will trade under the name Aviva Stadium, would be able to host it but it's not ready yet. The GAA has already said that if Munster win their Q final, regardless of who their opposition wil be, they may hold it in Croke Park. Leinster have a tough task to make it, needing to beat Harlequins away to qualify, but should they do so it could be another sell out. I'm hoping.
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
Dave, If you say that Mick O’Flanagan wasn't one of the greats of Irish rugby then you'd be right since you'd know more on the topic than me. I've heard O'Flanagan's name mentioned when reading about the 1948 Grand Slam, but perhaps like Australia's Dick Thornett he's more famous for being a jack-of-all-trades than being a key player of his time (although Thornett was a key player for Australia from what I gather). As for O'Driscoll v Umaga. Well yes I'd rate O'Driscoll as the better player as well.
True Tah
Guest
stuff happens if Munster ends up playing Leinster in the semi final (assuming both sides win their respective quarter finals) where would they play the game? Is there any chance that the match could be played at Croke Park, I reckon it would draw at least 50,000. ok maybe not enough to fill Croker, but still a big enough crowd. The joker here is the GAA, I dont know how they would react, given the growth in Irish rugby, I cant see them giving a free kick to a rival sport, I can agree with that somewhat.
stuff happens
Guest
For those of you interested in Ireland v Wales part 2, Munster play Ospreys in the 1/4's of the Heineken Cup over Easter. I think about 8 of the Irish run on side are from Munster and a similar number of the Welsh from Ospreys.And yes, Munster are very difficult to beat at home and Tommy Bowe plays for Ospreys!
Colin N
Guest
"I also forget to mention that he made a try-saving tackle against Scotland." For me, Bowe should have got the credit for his part in it, as without his initial tackle the try would mosty likely have been scored. I think Bowe made the try-saving tackle, so you were right to leave it out of your article ;) But, I agree BOD has been excellent this six nations and is although has lost that yard of pace (which most people have said), he still has so many other attributes that he brings to the pitch.
WorkingClassRugger
Guest
Stephen Jone's is a fool, a muppet and a complete twit. Surprised there wasn't more English players. And far too many Welsh.
Dublin Dave
Guest
Frank, First thing: Mick O'Flanagan as one of the greats of the 1948 side?? Where did you drag that one up from? He is more famous as a soccer player and for being not only a dual international in both soccer and rugby but also having a brother Kevin who performed the same feat. But both multitalented siblings only won a single cap each at rugby so to call either of them legendary rugby players in their own right is pushing it a bit. The star players on the 1948 side were mainly in the pack. That was where Ireland played and won their matches that season, by all accounts. The ones I heard about at my father's knee, and even he was too young to go to any of the internationals that season, included Kyle and Mullen of course but also the back row of McKay, McCarthy and O'Brien. Chronicles of the time also pay great tribute to the prop JC Daly who scored the winning try in the deciding fixture against Wales and then went on to rugby league. On the subject of O'Driscoll, I was also one of those who thought that he had lost a yard of pace last season but he has pulled out some stonking displays for Leinster this year. Especially earlier in the season. For Ireland he has emerged as a real leader by example, taking the responsibility to go for the close in tries that the forwards set up for him against both England and Wales. In the English match too, he took some of the pressure of an embattled O'Gara, who was having a shake day with his kicking, by dropping a goal at a vital time. Frankly, and I don't care how many New Zealanders this may upset, I think he is head and shoulders above Umaga. I will admit my knowledge of Umaga is limited to tour matches involving the Lions over there and New Zealand over here but this includes world cup matches. However quietly O'Driscoll may have played in some matches I have NEVER seen him single handedly throw away his team's overwhelming lead and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory like Umaga did to/for New Zealand in the famous semi final against France in 1999. I make it that 27 of France's 40 points in that match were conceded thanks to the ineptitude, carelessness, poor positioning and in one case downright cowardice of New Zealand's number 14, who that day happened to be one Tana Umaga. For that reason, I don't think O'Driscoll and Umaga should be mentioned in the same breath. ;)