O'Driscoll lifts Vickery

Phil Vickery has revealed the unlikely source of his “only positive” element to emerge from dismal England’s record Six Nations defeat in Dublin last Saturday: Brian O’Driscoll.

The Ireland captain offered words of encouragement to his shell-shocked opposite number as Vickery began absorbing a 43-13 Croke Park calamity, which surpassed England’s previous worst championship beating by France 35 years ago.