Shackling O’Driscoll is top priority for England
England believe O'Driscoll is the one Irish back who can upset their aim of adding a second successive Six Nations grand slam to their World Cup.
Their defensive coach, Phil Larder, makes no secret of their intentions. He has built up a formidable reputation in both the League and Union games and has been concentrating his talents over the past few days on the threat posed by O'Driscoll. It's a challenge he clearly relishes.
"We're glad Brian's playing, excited even, because it will keep us on our toes", said Larder.
"O'Driscoll's got very good balance, good feet too, has an eye for an opening and his timing coming on to the ball is first-class. He won't be daunted about coming to Twickenham. Like all world-class players, he'll fancy his chances to show what he can do. He carried the ball against Wales 12 times, more than any other player, and that's very high for a centre."
If Ireland are to have any chance of upsetting the odds (21 points is the handicap at the bookmakers) and beating England at Twickenham for the first time in ten years, they are going to have to cross the English line on at least two occasions. England know that O'Driscoll is the man most likely to set-up tries or score them himself.
Trouble is, with the possible exception of Gordon D'Arcy who impressed against both France and Wales, the Irish attack hardly looks capable of capitalising. Girvan Dempsey is little threat going forward.
Nor do the other members of the back three, Shane Horgan, struggling to find his best form, and Tyrone Howe, convince that they possess match winning potential. "Howe wouldn't get into the England C team", claimed last night's London Evening Standard."
Unless Peter Stringer discovers a telling break the lack of which continues to deprive him of a place among the great scrum-halves it is a certainty that Ronan O'Gara will, like O'Driscoll, search for space and discover it just isn't there.
That in turn means he will rely on his trusty right boot more than Eddie O'Sullivan and most Irishmen would like because fliers like Iain Balshaw, Ben Cohen and Josh Lewsey, will be just waiting to pounce on any stray kicks. Quite simply the English back three is light years ahead of their Irish opponents and that will certainly impact profoundly on the outcome.
As always, of course, the trend of the game will be dictated by developments up front and especially in the opening stages. There is little doubt that Ireland can carry the battle to the English, shorn as they are of Martin Johnson and two other top-class second-rows, Simon Shaw and Danny Grewcock.
It won't be anything like as easy to set up the rolling mauls that created three of the tries against Wales because the English will have done their homework and will attack the Irish line-out throws instead of staying on their feet as the Welsh did.
Still, it's an area where the outstanding Paul O'Connell and Malcolm O'Kelly, who has something to prove after being dropped for the Welsh game, could reap a rich harvest. However, they will have to enjoy the same level of support as supplied by Anthony Foley, Simon Easterby and Shane Byrne, all of whom were superb at close quarters against the Welsh.
As Eddie O'Sullivan says: "If we achieve certain things, we will win the game, and if we don't, we won't. There's no magic to it, it's just down to certain things being done properly and executed well. Against the better teams, they are hard things to achieve quality of possession, keeping possession, good going forward, putting them under pressure and when you don't have the ball, defending really well, not making silly errors. The big teams draw silly errors from you because of the pressure they put on you when you are defending."
It will, of course, be a huge day for the Foley family with Rosie in action for the Irish ladies team in the curtain raiser and Anthony winning his 50th cap. Foley's head-to-head with England captain Lawrence Dallaglio will be a thunderous affair.
It must help that Martin Johnson won't be there and that two of his replacements, Shaw and Grewcock, are out of the equation. Is this an area, then, where Paul O'Connell can make some hay?
"They'll be weaker without Johnson but when you're coming into a side, you want to prove yourself, and that's the way it will be for Stephen Borthwick", says O'Connell.
"He'll have an edge that everyone has when you get into the side for the first time."
Victory is possible especially if O'Driscoll avoids Larder's infantry. As always, we live in hope.
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