Brian O'Driscoll

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Teatime

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After watching the Grand Slam journey on RTE2 last night, I have to say that Brian O'Driscoll is an extraordinary rugby player - the best I have ever seen. He has it all and does it all so bravely. A true legend and a credit to his country. He is constantly targetted and yet consistently comes up trumps.

Good show too. Great bunch of lads.
 
Is he that good though? I'm not being smart - I know virtually nothing about rugby but feel free to enlighten me... :)
 
Even though I went to a rugby playing school, I could never understand the fascination people have with watching 30 fellows (thugs) running up and down a (mucky freezing cold) field after a ball!
 
What always impresses me at matches is the amount of work he puts in. Some of his tackling is incredible. Fearless. Great role model for kids... Then again he's a Northsider true and true ;-)

That Tommy Bowe try against Wales was brilliantly filmed in last nights programme. The coaches came across very well too.
 
RTE did a fine job with the show. All the players came across very well. Some were quite funny.

Drico does stand out as an exceptional player. His tackles are scary at times. He just throws his body in to people with little or no care for is own wellbeing. The tackle against Kirchner on Saturday brilliantly illustrated that.

Then you look at the English game and the special attention he received. He got up and nailed his try. Whether as a runner or in defence the man is the best this country has ever produced in my opinion.
 
i havent seen a player in any sport thats world class in defence and also world class in attack.. except for O'Driscoll
 
not only is the greatest outside centre of the professional era, he is probably good enough to be a world class openside flanker also.
i was shocked to hear Richie McCaw got IRB player of the year considering the injuries he had for a lot of it.
 
He got a bit of slagging for the clip "we're good goys, but we could be great" in the last documentary (the Paul O'Connell - put the fear of God into them - one), but I think he must have won over any doubters since then. Unusual to have a flair player who's tough as nails as well - I know they all have to tackle etc but few combine both elements to such a high level.

& not even the bould Amy Huberman has blunted his edge !! ;)
 
bamboozle said:
i was shocked to hear Richie McCaw got IRB player of the year considering the injuries he had for a lot of it.
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Yeah that was a shocker. What does O'Driscoll have to do to win it?!

There were a couple of years there when Ireland weren't doing so well in the 6 Nations but O'Driscoll never stopped tackling/foraging/urging even when the game was lost.

The last England game showed his true grit. Took huge (& illegal) hits, made huge hits/steals and still managed a drop goal and a 'forwards' try.
 
bamboozle said:
... i was shocked to hear Richie McCaw got IRB player of the year ...
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[broken link removed]

I'm astounded and for once I agree with a lot of what Gerry Thornley said in his article yesterday (link above). The judges must have watched 60 hours of Richies's Greatest Hits on video to reach their decision. Although Magner's League and Heiniken Cup matches are excluded from the assessment process, their decision-making is still puzzling.

I'm just thankful none of the Boks got it. The current Boks panel must rate as the most ill-mannered, sneaky, violent and cowardly bunch ever to disgrace a rugby jersey, anywhere. After all their scumbag skullduggery, they had the temerity to cite an Irish player for violence; naturally the citing commissioner dismissed their claims out of hand.

Brussow, Burger, Peterson, Styn, Bekker & Co hang your heads in shame - you have betrayed the spirit of one of the greatest team games in the world. If you never don a rugby jersey again, I won't be sorry.

I wonder what penalties will the IRB dish out due to the Boks playing an illegal player last Saturday? See here -

Given that they judge his scrummaging by a different set of standards to that of others, it is not surprising that thus far the IRB have turned a blind eye to the 17 / 18 SA caps this Zimbabwean citizen has been illegally awarded. Even the SA Sports Ministry acknowledges that The Beast's SA citizenship has not been progressed.

Drico, you are the player of my lifetime. Maybe not getting this questionable IRB award is in fact a backhanded compliment.
 
While I agree with most of your post Mathapac I don’t think that anything the South Africans have done comes anywhere near the spear tackle by the All Blacks (that team made up of everyone in the southern hemisphere except South Africa and, Australia)against Brian O’Driscoll and the arrogant and conceited reaction by their team and management. I’d cheer for the anyone, including South Africans, ahead of that bunch of smug gits.
 
Purple said:
While I agree with most of your post Mathapac I don’t think that anything the South Africans have done comes anywhere near the spear tackle by the All Blacks (that team made up of everyone in the southern hemisphere except South Africa and, Australia)against Brian O’Driscoll and the arrogant and conceited reaction by their team and management. I’d cheer for the anyone, including South Africans, ahead of that bunch of smug gits.
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That is the one last thing I would like to see O'Driscoll & Co do - beat the All Blacks. I am not sure they will realistically get the chance now. Last Autumn series was the opportunity.
 
Teatime said:
Brian O'Driscoll is an extraordinary rugby player - the best I have ever seen. He has it all and does it all so bravely. A true legend and a credit to his country.
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+1 Teatime, couldn't put it any better myself. The whole team are absolute legends and a credit to the country, and our captain is really the one who leads by example brilliantly.
 
Purple said:
... I’d cheer for the anyone, including South Africans, ahead of that bunch of smug gits.
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Not me I'm afraid; The Boks, Wales and Scotland are permanently off my list of rugby teams to cheer in Ireland's absence.

I agree that the Blacks treatment of O'Driscoll and their reaction and attitude to the incident were appalling at the time, but the current Boks have a consistent and persistent nastiness about them that is different and very worrying, IMHO.

They were ungracious hosts to Paulie's Lions and appallingly ill-mannered guests here last week-end. Some players managed to swop jersies (2 or 3 at most) and SA were given the customary guard of honour off the field by Ireland, but then the SA alikadoos and blazers shepherded their players off the field without reciprocating. They did not attend the post-match social event.

They are a disgrace to rugby, but no-one seems willing or able to take action against the SARFU for breaches of the laws and the protocols surrounding this wonderful game. My fear is we will end up with a game that is the equivalent of full-contact soccer with all that is worst about that game and its administration.
 
I've heard plenty of bad reports and press about SA and I knew about the NZ spearhead tackle but what's wrong with Wales, and especially, Scotland - would have thought they were innocuous enough?
 
Caveat said:
... but what's wrong with Wales, and especially, Scotland - would have thought they were innocuous enough?
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1972 Lansdowne Road when England played an unscheduled match after Wales and Scotland refused to travel due to apparently unfounded and uninvestigated "security concerns". I've attended many sporting events in many venues down the years but I have never experienced anything like the reception England (deservedly IMHO) got that day.

That and incidents like JPR Williams breaking David Irwin's leg with a foot-trip in 1983 .... I could go on ....
 
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