AS BRIAN O’DRISCOLL prepares for the final game of his playing career, former Ireland teammate Alan Quinlan says the outside centre’s presence behind the scenes will perhaps be missed more than his contributions on the pitch.
At 35, the Clontarf man is not in his athletic prime any longer, with Quinlan feeling that O’Driscoll’s influence in attack has naturally waned in recent seasons, as with all older backs.
“I mean this respectfully to the guy, but I think over the last year he became more normal,” says the Sky Sports analyst. “He wasn’t hitting the same heights, making all of those clean line breaks and breaking the gainline all the time.
“I think he had to adapt and change his game like a lot of players have to do in their 30s when they have lost that yard of pace maybe, especially for a back.
The one thing I always felt playing against him for Munster was that you always had a better chance when he wasn’t playing. Not necessarily because he was going to carve you open and score a load of tries, but because of his presence.
“You could never underestimate the presence of Drico in a group. So maybe not from a playing point of view [that he will be missed], but off the pitch his presence will be missed – there’s no doubt.
“You have all that experience he has built up in the tough challenges throughout his career, the confidence booster for young guys when you’re going into a daunting challenge and Drico has a chat; he has the confidence to go and deliver, so he will be a loss.
“Obviously, his game as well but in the last year or so he hasn’t been making all of those line breaks. That’s life, isn’t it? He’s had an amazing career and he’ll be certainly missed. But it’s an opportunity for other guys now to try and emulate elements of the career he’s had.”
Defensive master
Quinlan’s fellow Sky Sports analyst, Paul Wallace, does believe that O’Driscoll’s absence will be felt on the pitch next season, particularly on the international scene, where the centre’s defensive excellence has been so vital.
“Where Ireland will miss him is defensively,” says Wallace. “As an attacking threat, he does still have some beautiful touches, but he’s like having two defenders out wide. His reading of situations is second to none.
He’s not the biggest, most physical guy but the combination of his experience and natural instincts, that ability to slow the ball down [are important]. It’s the hardest position to defend, that penultimate defender in the 13 channel, because everything happens.
“It’s a very wide area. It’s not just experience, it’s a natural instinct and he’s always had it, but he’s also like a jackal. He’s just flying after everything, that ferocity he goes into everything with.”
Sky Sports analysts Alan Quinlan and Paul Wallace were speaking ahead of the Ireland Rugby Tour to Argentina, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 2 and via Sky Go.
Fair play
A very decent gesture. Well done.
Great stuff Matt
Thats an outstanding gesture, practical, straight to the players and coaches at the coal face and no way that administrators can waste it (he says hopefully)
@Rochey77: yeah imagine the money went to Delaney instead, he’d have spent it on a ice sculpture of himself
Well done.
On a related note Robbie Keane needs to take note, as a multi millionaire he should step down from his FAI role and stop waiting around for a payout from our bankrupt soccer association which will ultimately mean funds go into his large bank account instead of grass roots football
@stoned.walled: totally agree – can you make any sense of giving him a 5 year assistant manager role when McCarthy was only on a 2.5 year contract ? Keane is holding out for the big payout and from reading media reports he seems to feel he is entitled to it as a “Irish footballing legend “……. he looks to join a list who have taken millions from FAI in termination settlements (MO’N – €4m apparently – Roy Keane €1M apparently. ) Now when FAI ask the Irish government for bailouts this becomes all of our business ….
@Fred Frederickson: Robbie Keane signed the deal he negotiated with the FAI and should be paid up. Robbie is a legend and has given everything in the green Jersey. Have some respect for the man. A deal is a deal. Just because the FAI are bad negotiatiors and incompetent
@padar: he is no longer a legend in my eyes.
Question who needs the money / will benefit more, Robbie Keane to piss away (as it’s buttons to him) or grass roots soccer (ie kids playing)
FairPlay, I’m aware of that course and the work they do with disadvantaged communities. Great gesture by Matt Doherty.
RoyKeane is all piss and wind should have had his Irish Passport taken away after the Saipan incident. I remember the Evening Herald running a front page fundraiser for Robbie Keane father to go and see him play in the U.18 Euro finals, Robbie has pocketed over €10M as his cut from transfers alone, so come on Robbie let’s see what your made of.
Soccer just reflects society – some give to their communities & some have a sense of entitlement & don’t give anything back. The latter usually give out about everything & everybody also
24 laptops, 24 GPS systems and a motion camera for 15k? Can you find out where he shops? Fair play to him.
Good man!