O’Brien in to beef up Carlow

EUROPEAN rugby player of the year Sean O’Brien will be Carlow’s secret weapon when they take on Wexford at Croke Park on Sunday.

The Tullow Tank was brought in by manager Luke Dempsey to help with the side’s physical preparations before their surprise victory over Louth two weeks ago and the international back rower has added an element of steel to his native county. However, no player has tried to see just how tough he really is.

“He’s good in the training sessions,” said captain Shane Redmond. No one has tried to have a bump off him though. We all stayed well away from him.”

O’Brien, who is likely to start for Ireland in the world cup in New Zealand later this year, has been a revelation last season but, with a strong underage GAA career behind him, he has been training football teams in the county for three years.

It hasn’t just been his influence on the training field that has worked though; he has also proved an inspiration to the players who grew up with him and saw what he achieved. I would have played with Sean a bit when I was younger,” said Redmond.

“It’s great to have him in. It’s a savage achievement for what he’s done. He’s been training away with us for a few sessions. It’s great to have him around.

“When you see the likes of that, it’s a similar situation to what we’re in. Sean would have been kind of discriminated against in the sense that he was trying to make it on to a Leinster squad that was 90%Blackrock or whatever.

“It’s a similar thing with us. We’re Carlow and no one gave us a chance. It’s great to have him around.”

The Carlow captain will use that knowledge to try and down his parents home county.

“Nearly all my family are from Wexford,” said the Tinryland man. “My father is from Adamstown and my mother’s from Kilnaleck. I actually found out during the week that I’ve a second cousin playing for them, Adrian Morrissey.

“I would have always supported Wexford, particularly in the hurling. I would have been very involved around 1996 and would have went to a lot of games in Croke Park.

“We would have spent every weekend of our youth down there. I’ve got tickets for a lot of my cousins on account they wear Carlow jerseys for the day. The Wexford flag is long gone from the front of the house, it’s the Carlow one flying now.”