Brian O' Driscoll Appreciation

mink_man

We should all really appreciate the player that he is right now, when he finishes up we'll look back and think he was some player!

Some thought he was finished a few years ago only to come back and prove himself to be one of the best players in the world.

He takes the ball on from a ruck near the line like a forward, gets himself into the jackal position stealing the ball and forcing penalties like a back row forward, the pick up against new zealand, the drop goal v australia in the RWC 2003, the try against them in 2003. It'll be a big job to replace him when he eventually does retire.

I had videos on the tags but they're not coming up. damn! :P

Creamy Goodness

i agree but i really dislike how everyone is harping on like he's retiring. he's not. there'll be plenty of time to admire his service when he's gone but that's hopefully a good way away yet (until we get a somewhat suitable replacement).

teednab-el

mink_man wrote: »

We should all really appreciate the player that he is right now, when he finishes up we'll look back and think he was some player!

Some thought he was finished a few years ago only to come back and prove himself to be one of the best players in the world.

He takes the ball on from a ruck near the line like a forward, gets himself into the jackal position stealing the ball and forcing penalties like a back row forward, the pick up against new zealand, the drop goal v australia in the RWC 2003, the try against them in 2003. It'll be a big job to replace him when he eventually does retire.

I had videos on the tags but they're not coming up. damn! :P

By far the best player and no.13 to come out of Ireland and best player out of the 6 Nations (2000-2011). Cant see many players in the NH being as good as him to be fair when hes on form. Great athlete/player and great brain. It will be very hard for this country to produce someone like him again in the future. He is a rare talent of Ireland.

mink_man

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

i agree but i really dislike how everyone is harping on like he's retiring. he's not. there'll be plenty of time to admire his service when he's gone but that's hopefully a good way away yet (until we get a somewhat suitable replacement).

well I know but we should appreciate being able to watch him play live in his prime.

Spore

Ah yes, BOD appreciation threads, you got to love 'em! I never get tired of praising the man. For me, however, his most important trait is his support play. Always in the right place at the right time for the offload / intercept. Pure genius. Lovely fella off the field too. Best export from Clontarf ever.

CouchSmart

He's been around for so long that he's now taken for granted. When he retires there'll be a huge void in Irish rugby.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Great player, certainly the best Irish player in the modern era. Can't stand him, though.

pappyodaniel

Hands down, best player I've ever played against.

Digifriendly

baz2009 wrote: »

Great player, certainly the best Irish player in the modern era. Can't stand him, though.

Why? Always seems a nice bloke off field as well as on.

TouchingVirus

Here's a video, the try compilation from BOD's Six Nations career

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/sixnations/highlights.html?2927427,2927427,flash,256

funky penguin

Amazing player, legend of the modern era, and an absolutely lovely guy.

Has had to endure so much for critics (remember opinions of him leading up to the 2009 6Ns?).

So many memories of him.....those tries in Paris, that Magical Step in Australia, ferocious tackles in every game, that lung-busting run in croke park, almost single-handidly dragging Ireland over the try line against England in 2009, leading to the first GS in 48 years for Ireland.

Now, he breaks a 78 year old try scoring record set by a VERY prolific Scotsman (great few bits of information about him in the weekend sport of the time.)

It is SUCH a shame that he has never had the chance to be part of a successful World Cup bid. He really deserves it.

25 glorious tries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx-9BAGWINM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cLncun7wuE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaDz4rGMdVM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzvnexjWJYg

SO many moments to pick.

Brian, (not to sound like you're retiring!) but thank for all the memories. Hopefully there are a few more to come!

totallegend

Absolute hero, watching that RTE video of his Six Nations tries reminds you of how long he's been on the go and how consistently brilliant he's been over the last 12 years.

The clamour of a couple of years ago to drop him as captain is frankly embarrassing in hindsight.

TheRevolution

The clamour of a couple of years ago to drop him as captain is frankly embarrassing in hindsight.

What about the clamour to drop him full stop? :eek:

LXFlyer

The man is a legend and I don't think that there is any reason why we should not count ourselves amazingly lucky to be able to watch and enjoy his performances.

As for the "clamour" a couple of years ago, BOD himself admitted that things had gone awry and that he had made some "lifestyle changes", whatever they were, in order to rediscover his form.

We can all have have difficult periods, but to be fair the man has more than bounced back and is a great ambassador for the game.

TheRevolution

lxflyer wrote: »

The man is a legend and I don't think that there is any reason why we should not count ourselves amazingly lucky to be able to watch and enjoy his performances.

As for the "clamour" a couple of years ago, BOD himself admitted that things had gone awry and that he had made some "lifestyle changes", whatever they were, in order to rediscover his form.

We can all have have difficult periods, but to be fair the man has more than bounced back and is a great ambassador for the game.

Dropping Glenda Gilson.

Ian_K

baz2009 wrote: »

Great player, certainly the best Irish player in the modern era. Can't stand him, though.

Can't understand this tbh, BOD is an absolute gentleman and you couldnt find a better role model, always 100% committed and willing to put his body in the line time and again, even as a munster man i could not have more respect for the bloke.

What impresses me most about him is the way he has evolved his game over the years, transforming from a lightning quick sniper to a defensive genius without his try scoring rate dropping much, changing his body shape and has actually gotten smaller in recent years as his pace has faded.

Hero.

phog

He is without doubt the best rugby player Ireland have ever produced, he is probably on of the top 10 players in the world.

It's amazing how familiarty breeds contempt (I mean this in the best way), we see him so often that he may not be appreciated as much as if he was a southern hemisphere player.

TheRevolution

Ian_K wrote: »

Can't understand this tbh, BOD is an absolute gentleman

[OT]
My friend told me that he was at an 18th many years ago in an estate in Clonskeagh. The lad who was having the 18th said O'Driscoll lived a few doors down and naturally as the 18th was full of drunken Blackrock 6th years the whole party decided to knock up to O'Driscoll and invite him over. They knocked on the door and invited him and he just smiled and said "alright give me 5 minutes" They left thinking there was no way he was coming but true to his word he showed up and not only that, he showed up with a bottle of wine for the birthday boy and chatted with everyone for awhile. If that is true, hes got to be a gent. [/OT]

duckysauce

Cracking photo

durkadurka

Greatest Living Irishman.

Thats all.

durkadurka

durkadurka wrote: »

Greatest Living Irishman.

Thats all.

Has John Hume expired?

durkadurka

Deleted User wrote: »

Has John Hume expired?

He doesnt have a step.


Or jedi reflexes.

Digifriendly

Deleted User wrote: »

Has John Hume expired?

No, but he doesn't hold a candle to BOD. BTW anyone see RTE teletext's piece on Andrew Trimble's praise of POC's speech to the team that inspired them so much before the England game. Makes interesting reading. POC was magnificent in my opinion on the pitch, must have been the same off it.

MMeister

How he didn't win it that year I don't know. Richie McGaw by his own standards had a fairly lacklustre year and really winning a grand slam, playing for the lions well and winning the heiny cup shoudl have been enough. Tragedy and embarrassing decision by the IRB.

....Yes I'm still angry about that decision even now.

duckysauce

pappyodaniel

Are they your photos Duckysauce?

If so they are quality.

Jack Sheehan

The complete player, and you cant say that about too many. That video of him passing to himself is just outrageous, and amazing.

SomeFool

funky penguin wrote: »

It is SUCH a shame that he has never had the chance to be part of a successful World Cup bid. He really deserves it.

There's still a chance of that to be fair!

Chuck Stone

The man is a living legend and we're lucky to have been enjoying the game in his time - simple as.

[Jackass]

The only shame is that he was robbed of his world player of the year award when he earned it in 2009. That is the biggest shame of all, and if McCaw won it for nothing more than a distinctly average season by anyone's standards, let alone the standards of McCaw, then considering the milestones of the season and the potential for post world cup retirement (even though he's going to play on for two more seasons after the world cup and has a contract to take him up to the next Lions tour - really wants to win a Lions tour, maybe even captain one) he should get world player of the year this season as he was very good for Ireland this season and in 6 nations, if not spectacular, it's just sad that it wasn't given to him when he was the best player in the world.

crisco10

Love RTE's compilation of all his tries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx-9BAGWINM

What I love is that you can see how BOD has adapted his game, from the early days where it was all about outside breaks and sheer acceleration, to the 09 season where it was pick and goes. Then this season, was all about right place right time.

reeta

baz2009 wrote: »

Great player, certainly the best Irish player in the modern era. Can't stand him, though.

Why do you know him personally ???

durkadurka

durkadurka wrote: »

Greatest Living Irishman.

Thats all.

I doubt many would agree with that.

thebaz

simply the best player i have ever seen play for Ireland - what amazes me is how he came back a stronger, in so many ways , from that cynical spear down under .

but, this might sound weird, I'd like POC to lead Ireland for WC , its like he is the spiritual leader , when O'O'Connell plays well for munster or Ireland , the team generally does well

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/2011/0321/1224292761721.html

duckysauce

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Are they your photos Duckysauce?

If so they are quality.

No wish they were though.

GiftofGab

Brian O'Driscoll should have been taoiseach, not Enda Kenny. :D

slowburner

It brought a tear to my eye when another great servant of Irish rugby - Keith Wood, retired. I'm dreading BOD's time, when it comes.

Quint2010

slowburner wrote: »

It brought a tear to my eye when another great servant of Irish rugby - Keith Wood, retired. I'm dreading BOD's time, when it comes.

I reckon he may give up the captaincy after the WC but I doubt he will retire.

d'Oracle

CouchSmart wrote: »

He's been around for so long that he's now taken for granted. When he retires there'll be a huge void in Irish rugby.

Couldn't let this slide.

Who takes him for granted?
I don't think anyone does.
The lad is practically royalty.

slowburner

Quint2010 wrote: »

I reckon he may give up the captaincy after the WC but I doubt he will retire.

He's gotta retire some time.

Quint2010

slowburner wrote: »

He's gotta retire some time.

He's only 32. I reckon you may see him more at inside centre over the next coiuple of years. Still wearing 13 of course...:-)

slowburner

Hope so.

andrewdcs

I'd carry his child if I had a womb, or a baby sling.

slowburner

andrewdcs wrote: »

I'd carry his child if I had a womb, or a baby sling.

Have an operation and then write to him telling him what you have done for him. Amy will be pleased.

andrewdcs

slowburner wrote: »

Have an operation and then write to him telling him what you have done for him. Amy will be pleased.

she could live with my wife, it'd be like something off channel 4.

slowburner

Brian will be pleased.

daveharnett

baz2009 wrote: »

Great player, certainly the best Irish player in the modern era. Can't stand him, though.

That's the thing - he evolved to a point where it's impossible not to respect him as an individual as well as a player.

From day one, the genius and ridiculous physical ability was never in question, but his attitude off the pitch was pretty terrible. It all came to him a little too easily.

If he had continued along the path he was on 5 years ago, he wouldn't be on the Irish squad today. He was unfit, overweight, inconsistent, and filled as much space in the gossip pages as the sports pages.

Since then, he has become one of the hardest working players in Irish rugby, become an exemplary captain, transformed how backs everywhere approach the breakdown,and steadily become an even better player despite his diminished pace.

Samich

What a legend.

maddness

Pure genius and a gent too.

tolosenc

The best player in the history of Irish rugby, by a distance.

thebaz

Is he retiring ?
Best Irish player ever , but looked jaded today, and sadly lady age had caught up with him , himself and d'Arcy reign , has been overtaken - damn you lady age