O’Driscoll is ready for beast of a challenge

IT PROMISES to be one of the mouthwatering head to heads in the 2010 RBS Six Nations Championship. In one corner you have the best player in the world in 2009, Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll. Facing him is one of rugby’s most controversial and yet potentially most explosive players, France’s Mathieu Bastareaud.

They will both try to deliver a knockout blow in the Stade de France on Saturday and the man who succeeds in the task may help decide the outcome of the fascinating clash.

Given that O’Driscoll will be earning his 98th cap, he is hardly likely to be intimidated by the 18½ stone Stade Francais giant or indeed any other centre three-quarter on the globe.