Unfortunately for Australia’s grand slam hopefuls, leading Ireland to their first Six Nations crown in more than half a century hasn’t quenched Brian O’Driscoll’s appetite for major rugby spoils.
O’Driscoll will play his 100th Test on Sunday at Croke Park and is hoping to celebrate the milestone with a stylish victory over Australia in Ireland’s opening match of their autumn campaign.
“I have a great hunger for the game at the moment and just look forward to pulling on the green jersey again and hopefully picking up from where we left off in March,” O’Driscoll said.
“You always look forward to coming back into the Irish squad. It’s the pinnacle of everyone’s career to play internationally.”
He is taking nothing for granted, though.
One of Ireland’s greatest ever players, O’Driscoll made his Test debut against Australia in Brisbane in 1999, and remains ever wary of the Wallabies a decade on.
“They’re just a very smart team. Probably more often than not, I’d say they’re the smartest team in world rugby,” he said.
“They think about how to break down defences. They have the personnel to do that and they’re able to adapt on the pitch.
“That’s the big feature. They might go in with plan A but they can change it throughout the game so that makes them dangerous.
“They’re always a great challenge.”
The superstar centre – set to marry Irish actress Amy Huberman – said opposing Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom for the first time since they teamed together to help Leinster win the European Cup in May would give the Lansdowne Cup clash an added edge.
“I happened to bump into him on Monday in a restaurant in Dublin and we just chatted away for a while but, for 80 minutes, we’ll put all that aside on Sunday and we’ll take one another on,” O’Driscoll said.
“Rocky is a fantastic player, a world-class player. He was great for us last year and I’m sure his mind will certainly be focused on winning a Test match as much as mine will.”
Coach Declan Kidney on Wednesday named a formidable line-up featuring just two changes to the side which clinched Ireland Six Nations and grand slam honours for the first time since 1948 with a thrilling 15-13 win over Wales at Millennium Stadium.
Leinster prop Cian Healy will make his Test debut after replacing injured loosehead Marcus Horan, while Kidney surprisingly opted for Paddy Wallace ahead of Gordon D’Arcy as O’Driscoll’s inside centre partner.
“You don’t ever like leaving a fellow like Gordon out. That’s a big call to have a player of his ability not in the 22,” Kidney said before tipping an extra tough time for his side following Australia’s confidence-boosting win over England last Saturday.
“Any side that goes to Twickenham and comes away with a win is bound to give you a bucketful of confidence. They’d been knocking on the door for a while in the Tri Nations.”
Australian-born prop Tom Court, who played three Super 12 matches for Queensland in 2006, is on the Ireland bench.
Ireland: Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Paddy Wallace, Luke Fitzgerald, Ronan O’Gara, Tomas O’Leary, Jamie Heaslip, David Wallace, Stephen Ferris, Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, John Hayes, Jerry Flannery, Cian Healy. Reserves: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Leo Cullen, Denis Leamy, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton, Keith Earls.
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