The things that make Brian special

The youngster I first saw 12 years ago was always going to be a cut above the rest, writes John Kelly.

THE first time I met Brian O’Driscoll was a fairly inauspicious occasion. Munster were playing Leinster in an ‘A’ inter-provincial on a Saturday morning in 1998. The previous evening, 200 men and one dog had turned up for the main inter-pro. I don’t even think the dog bothered with our off-Broadway spectacular, which was a pity, considering the quality of rugby that was produced. It was a high-scoring match with both sides showing a willingness to throw the ball around. I was partnered in the centre by Cian Mahoney who had warned before the game to watch out for their No 13. It was a warning I was to heed for the rest of my career.

Munster won the match but Brian O’Driscoll would have stolen any headlines, were there any filed. He scored two individual tries, created by his now famous footwork. In less than two years, O’Driscoll would use his fancy sidestep and scorching pace to burn the French in his three-try tour de force in the Stade de France.