Boy wonder comes of age

THE ‘boy-wonder’ tag should be well-dated by now, but it’s not.

Well into his fourth season in the green shirt of Ireland, the schoolboy innocence is still there, the impish grin, and despite the fact that he's now recognised worldwide as one of the premier rugby-players in the world, there is still about the man himself a sense of disbelief, a sort of 'crikey - hasn't this gone away yet?'

The ready grin is genuine, but so is the steely resolve it fronts, the unquenchable spirit, the absolute dedication to winning, and this is the side of Brian O'Driscoll the Irish management recognised, when they named him as new Irish captain for Saturday's test against Australia.