SEAN O’BRIEN TAKES his seat in a drawing room in the west wing of Carton House and assesses the numbers.
The motley crew of interviews numbers five, down at least 50% from the crowd that enveloped the flanker before the France game.
When it is suggested that the media might be struck down with a similar injury crisis as the Irish rugby team, O’Brien laughs before responding, “They aren’t bothering to show up.”
It is hard to argue with the logic. Ireland play the Italians in Rome this weekend with the best they can hope for a third place finish. Worst-case scenario is bottom spot and a wooden spoon.
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Louis Picamoles won deserved praise as the best back-row after the draw at Lansdowne Road on Saturday but O’Brien was not far behind. He made 38 metres on 11 carries and secured turnover ball twice.
With Six Nations sides refusing to send up too many contestable high balls in Rob Kearney’s vicinity and Brian O’Driscoll operating for long spells as an extra loose forward, it was often left to O’Brien to raise pulses in the stands.
On the hour mark, the Tullow Tank did just that. O’Driscoll put up a box kick, Kearney contested, it bounced loose and fell to O’Brien.
Taking the ball on the charge, he encountered French fullback Yoann Huget and, three seconds later, left him sprawling.
“I remember like that, yeah,” he replies to TheScore.ie.
O’Brien continued, “He came at me fairly fast. I tried to go one side of him but I kind of got him perfectly.
“It was one of those freak things, more than anything else.”
'I kind of got him perfectly' - Sean O'Brien on bulldozing Yoann Huget
SEAN O’BRIEN TAKES his seat in a drawing room in the west wing of Carton House and assesses the numbers.
The motley crew of interviews numbers five, down at least 50% from the crowd that enveloped the flanker before the France game.
When it is suggested that the media might be struck down with a similar injury crisis as the Irish rugby team, O’Brien laughs before responding, “They aren’t bothering to show up.”
It is hard to argue with the logic. Ireland play the Italians in Rome this weekend with the best they can hope for a third place finish. Worst-case scenario is bottom spot and a wooden spoon.
Louis Picamoles won deserved praise as the best back-row after the draw at Lansdowne Road on Saturday but O’Brien was not far behind. He made 38 metres on 11 carries and secured turnover ball twice.
With Six Nations sides refusing to send up too many contestable high balls in Rob Kearney’s vicinity and Brian O’Driscoll operating for long spells as an extra loose forward, it was often left to O’Brien to raise pulses in the stands.
On the hour mark, the Tullow Tank did just that. O’Driscoll put up a box kick, Kearney contested, it bounced loose and fell to O’Brien.
Taking the ball on the charge, he encountered French fullback Yoann Huget and, three seconds later, left him sprawling.
“I remember like that, yeah,” he replies to TheScore.ie.
O’Brien continued, “He came at me fairly fast. I tried to go one side of him but I kind of got him perfectly.
“It was one of those freak things, more than anything else.”
Here is how the hit, and Huget, went down:
YouTube credit: Matt Cortigiani
Ireland camp: Injury situation is GUBU, but Sexton ‘a safe bet’ for Rome
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6 Nations calling card flanker Ireland Irish Rugby Italy Leinster Rugby Sean O'Brien yoann huget