O’Driscoll admits 2009 IRB award snub hit him hard

Brian O’Driscoll has outlined how being overlooked for the 2009 IRB Player of the Year was one of the biggest disappointments of his career, while the Grand Slam win that year was one of the highlights.

O’Driscoll, whose autobiography The Test is due to be released on Thursday, said he feared the worst when Stephen Jones lined up a potential match-winning penalty in the dying moments of their Grand Slam decider and as a result it took him some time to start celebrating it.

“When the stress and the relief begin to subside, perhaps within 10 or 15 seconds they are slowly replaced by an overwhelming, life-changing, unforgettable joy. Everywhere I look I see grown men hugging – players, physios, support staff and then the coaches.