A man for all seasons
The one of a tearful Amy Huberman cradling her daughter Sadie at the side of the pitch whilst reaching out for her husband at the end of what we all expect to be Brian O’Driscoll’s last game for Ireland at Lansdowne Road.
The man himself has remained enigmatic as to his intentions beyond the summer, but such a touching family portrait seemed to provide a fitting end note and demonstrated again why number 13 means what he does to a nation.
For a time it appeared as though his last act at his most frequented and favoured haunt might be a typically body-on-the-line endeavour as he crouched low to brace for the impact of a rampaging Vincent Debaty close to the Irish line in the contest’s dying moments. The Belgian-born bulldozer carries a good four stone more than O’Driscoll who had spent the previous five or so minutes shaking off the effects of an earlier knock to his ankle and that showed in the manner in which he rebounded off the French prop and onto the grass.
Though clearly dazed by the impact, it seemed to take some persuasion for the Leinster centre to depart the scene and Donnacha Ryan had ambled over with a ‘we’ve got this’ expression before the 34-year old finally consented to a departure accompanied by a thunderous ovation.
Not an ideal exit, you thought. Then again maybe this was rugby’s version of a warrior being borne away on his shield. But no sooner had you found solace in that than the crowd issued another roar and there he was, like a bad penny, refusing to be tossed aside. The moment was afforded a hyperbolic, Hollywood-style incredulity by the stadium announcer who screeched news of his return over the loudspeaker. But Mathieu Bastareaud summed up the O’Driscoll effect in less dramatic but far more effective words an hour or so later.
“When he go off I say ‘yes!’,” said the Toulon centre. “When he come back I say ‘Non!’.
Bastareaud was 11 when he switched on the TV to watch O’Driscoll score his hat-trick against the French 13 years ago and he spoke glowingly of that man on Saturday night even though he claimed those tries at Stade de France made him cry back in 2000.
“For my generation he is a model. He did amazing things. He is magic. A lot of centres in the world are happy he stops playing. He reads the game very well, he anticipates all the time. He is the best player I have ever seen at my position. He is a good kicker, a good passer and has speed. He is a very complete player. He has a lot of presence. He is not big but he carries himself well. When you play against him, you know about it.”
If Rome next Saturday is to be the final straight in a last lap for Ireland then it will at least serve to highlight the staggering length of an international career which began in 1999 before Italy were yet to play in the competition.
Longevity is only one branch to a career that has ticked so many boxes. O’Driscoll is not just Ireland’s record try scorer, he is back and a defender in one deluxe if slightly battered package and one whose actions are supplemented by words of an equally uplifting worth.
“He’s phenomenal,” said Donnacha Ryan. “He just doesn’t quit, he’s relentless. The delivery of how he speaks is quite accurate and filled with passion. It’s very good to even be in the same dressing room alongside him.
“You’re looking at him over the years, you have the utmost admiration for him so to be able to play alongside him is phenomenal. To be honest, the way the man is playing, I couldn’t see why he’d be thinking it’s his last game. Age is just a number and he’s playing really well. They should sign him up for a development contract the way he is going for (another) 10 years. Irish rugby would be glad to see that.”
