Ireland’s man for all seasons

Brian O’Driscoll has brought high emotion to Lansdowne Road over the past 14 years and we can expect more of the same today

There have been other stages, of course. Brian O’Driscoll probably seared his way into your consciousness with that hat-trick of tries against France in the Stade de France, for instance, just the 14 years ago.

Or maybe it was the slashing break for the Lions when facing the Wallabies back in 2001 at the Gabba in Brisbane. Later on, he sickened those same Australians in Croke Park with that last-gasp try under the posts in 2011.