The life of Brian

Once his manager, it’s over a decade since Donal Lenihan sat down and chewed the fat with Brian O’Driscoll. Before Ireland headed for New Zealand, Irish captains past and present caught up to debate heroism, hopes and hairdos.

AFTER an hour in the company of Ireland’s rugby captain at the epicentre of the team’s training base at Carton House, for the first time in years, I miss not being directly involved in the game. Brian O’Driscoll’s enthusiasm is that infectious and despite everything he has achieved over the past 12 seasons, his desire to succeed at the cutting edge of the game is as strong and transparent as ever.

The most decorated player in the history of Irish rugby is set to establish two additional milestones over the next few weeks. Already Ireland’s most capped player, record try scorer and with a record number of appearances as captain, O’Driscoll will become the first player to represent Ireland at four World Cups and the first to captain the squad in two tournaments. Short of lifting the Webb Ellis trophy itself, there isn’t much more for him to achieve in the game. Not that you would notice. With the end in sight, he is more determined for success than ever and plans to maximise the time he has left in the game to add to an already incredible list of achievements. But let’s start at the finish...