DONAL LENIHAN: O’Driscoll has already settled Lions captaincy debate
With the advent of full-time training, hours spent pumping iron in the gym, where improvement is far easier to measure than a player’s ability to pass under pressure, have become the norm...to the detriment of skill development.
Brian O’Driscoll is not a small man but doesn’t look oversized when compared with many who played in midfield 30 years ago. The same cannot be said about the likes of George North, Alex Cuthbert, Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies. They would fit in comfortably with any Welsh pack from the same era.
That is why it was so pleasing to see the likes of O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy and Craig Gilroy compete so favourably when stationed against the Welsh behemoths standing opposite them at the Millennium Stadium. O’Driscoll, of course, is the exception to all the rules and to produce what he did in Cardiff on the back of very limited game time was a privilege to witness in the flesh. He may not be around for much longer so cherish his every move while you still can.
The contrast in style between him and his opposition in the Welsh back line was startling. Where Roberts relies on power and brute force, O’Driscoll unlocks defences with a combination of hands, feet and intelligence. When a gap appears he invariably makes the right decision as to when he should run, pass, kick or recycle. Brawn plays a very insignificant role. He uses speed of thought and composure under pressure to dazzle his opponents. With Manu Tuilagi and Billy Twelvetrees likely to be paired together for at least a portion of next weekend’s clash, the battle between subtlety and raw power continues into the second weekend of the Six Nations Championship.
A watching Warren Gatland looked a little uncomfortable in the stand at the Millennium Stadium, concerned no doubt about the ease with which his Welsh charges were being opened up by the intricate lines of running produced by the Irish back line. With his Lions hat on he must have been very disappointed with the performance of many of those Welsh backs, who up to last Saturday, were in pole position to travel as part of his squad this summer.
His primary consolation was the performance of a number of the Irish players with O’Driscoll’s the biggest plus of all. The issue and debate surrounding the Lions captaincy should now be resolved, at least in Gatland’s mind. The only question mark surrounding Brian O’Driscoll’s candidacy revolved around form and fitness after all his recent injury travails. The 2005 Lions skipper put those firmly to bed on Saturday.
The principal contenders for the role amongst the British-based media, England’s Chris Robshaw and Welsh leader Sam Warburton, both have solid credentials for the role but are lacking in two crucial areas. At this juncture neither is guaranteed a place in the test side and given the form of Sean O’Brien and Justin Tipuric, that is unlikely to change even if I would select O’Brien at No 6. In addition neither Robshaw nor Warburton have toured with the Lions before and I think that is a disadvantage for any potential captain. From a leadership perspective, this tour is at least a year too soon for them even if both retain an excellent chance of making the squad.
With O’Driscoll likely to call time on his outstanding career after the Lions sojourn down under, I cannot think of anyone who would be more motivated to drive the Lions to a series win. His experience and manic desire to finally be part of a series-winning party would impact and rub off on everyone else in the squad and offer the Lions a vital edge. Gatland has issues to deal with given the disappointing form of some contenders but he should satisfy himself at this stage that the mist surrounding the appointment of a captain has cleared immeasurably after the opening weekend of Six Nations action.
ALL that can wait for a few weeks yet as round two of championship action is set to catapult the winner of Ireland’s mouth-watering clash against England into pole position for ultimate honours. England were impressive in their opening victory over Scotland without ever scaling the heights of that win against New Zealand. They will be better for having another game under their belts and more cohesive after a third week in camp together. The same, of course, applies to Ireland.
It is amazing to think that England were on the cusp of a Grand Slam with a young team on their last Six Nations visit to Dublin two years ago yet only four of that side are likely to start on Sunday. That is a remarkable clean-out. England, under Stuart Lancaster, have sailed a different course to the one envisioned by Martin Johnson such a short time ago. It also highlights the number of players they have at their disposal. Central to that is the fast-tracking of a number of very talented but comparatively inexperienced youngsters who are about to find out that playing in Dublin imposes a completely different set of ground rules.
While England were crashing to a decisive 24-8 defeat at the Aviva Stadium in 2011, Joe Launchbury, Maka Vunipola and Owen Farrell were part of a very impressive England U20 side that annihilated Ireland 15-46 in Athlone the previous evening. I am sure even they appreciate that things won’t be quite as straightforward this time out. This is a massive game for England.
That said, at least 10 of their squad featured in that 22-24 win against France at the Stade de France last season and the remainder of their squad toured South Africa in a three-test series last June. They improved with every outing before securing a highly credible draw against the Springboks in Port Elizabeth in their final test. Many will know what to expect having been on the receiving end in Heineken Cup contests on Irish soil and it is remarkable that England have failed to win a Six Nations clash in Dublin since the Martin Johnson red carpet affair at the old Lansdowne Road 10 years ago.
The only similarity with that England side of a decade ago is, as always, that they will be massively physical. The difference is that Lancaster’s team are beginning to offload more — 19 in total against Scotland — and are creating a lot of line breaks. That is why the fitness of Gordon D’Arcy is fundamental to Ireland’s chances of success.
On Sunday he is in line to extend a world record midfield partnership with O’Driscoll to 50 tests and when you consider the amount of times they have also played together for Leinster, is it any wonder their clarity and understanding in defence is so telepathic?
For Ireland to win, D’Arcy and Mike Ross must be passed fit to play. Thankfully all the indications at this stage suggest they will be.
