O’Driscoll says win ‘distinct possibility’
Though doubts remain over O’Driscoll’s participation due to a calf injury, there was no uncertainty about his mindset for the mission against Richie McCaw and company who are bidding to become the first team in the professional era to go through a calendar year without a defeat.
Victory against New Zealand is the only box the legendary O’Driscoll has failed to tick in an illustrious career with Ireland and the Lions. But that doesn’t mean he has given up hope.
“I don’t know whether it would gnaw at me (not to have beaten the All Blacks) it’s very hard to answer that, but I’m not going in with a defeatist attitude.”
He insisted: “I’m going into it believing a win is a distinct possibility. You do everything you can to prepare yourself for giving yourself a good chance (of victory) and reflection is for when you’re not playing any more.
“But I can’t think of it not being a great chance, a great opportunity. All you can ask is for these opportunities, you’re never guaranteed any more than that. This is just one more (chance), for me my last opportunity.
“I don’t think it motivates you any differently, it just probably serves as a reminder out on the pitch that if you’re struggling at some point that you realise there are no more opportunities after this, maybe that inspires you a little bit, maybe it picks things up, maybe you get (faster) to a ruck or to make a tackle.”
The task on Sunday is all the more difficult given the manner of defeat against Australia last weekend.
“We are all (to a man) disappointed with how we played in some aspect (or other) of the game. So to try to put that right and the huge challenge of taking on the world champions I think puts it all in perspective as to how much we need to get better.”
O’Driscoll revealed: “A lot of people came (back) into camp last night licking wounds. When you go about seeing and realising the errors of your ways in a game, injuries aside, it gives you an opportunity to be able to move forward, a look at opportunities that were missed and left out there. With a new week brings fresh hope.
“I think people have gotten over that initial 48 hours of disappointment. It is just another chance this weekend to try and prove ourselves. But we did let ourselves down individually and collectively.
“A lot of the stuff that happens out there, happens in hundredths of a second, so you’re trying to think back to scenarios where you had absolutely no time to make decisions. When you do look back on it – when you’re living in the moment – sometimes it looks very different. It is frustrating when you do look at video footage.”
A particular video nasty for Ireland was the 60-nil drubbing suffered in Hamilton last year and O’Driscoll admitted that there would be mention of that disastrous event.
“I’m sure it will be mentioned, yeah, because they (All Blacks) will have had some plays in that game that they would more than likely have scored against us, so you can’t ignore what happened. Again, people would feel the last time we played them that we embarrassed ourselves and we can’t allow it to happen at home.
“It shouldn’t happen anyway but certainly never at home. That’s why we have to give everything in the game and hopefully all of our accuracy and all of our planning, our set piece and other small aspects of our game will come together to produce the performance we are looking for.”
Coach Joe Schmidt is sweating on the availability of O’Driscoll (calf), Rob Kearney (ribs) and Jonathan Sexton (hamstring) but Fergus McFadden is certain to miss the game due to a broken finger.
Kearney and Sexton have until Friday to prove their fitness, while O’Driscoll is confident he will be fully recovered for Sunday’s game.
The backline troubles have, however, meant Darren Dave and Felix Jones have both been added to the squad in addition to Andrew Trimble and Luke Fitzgerald last week. Forwards Donnacha O’Callaghan and Shane Jennings were also added to the squad earlier as Schmidt tries to figure out the best way of upsetting a seemingly unbeatable New Zealand outfit.
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