Wednesday 22 June. Brian O’Driscoll was just like the rest of us, an Irish man.
He watched from the edge of his seat, roaring at the television, as his country engaged in battle with the Italians. He watched a do-or-die clash unfold in Lille and, eventually, he watched Robbie Brady join the list of Irish immortals. And he saw the effect it had on the island thereafter.
O’Driscoll was a football man when he was younger.
He was a Manchester United supporter – he still is – and his hero growing up was Mark Hughes. It wasn’t until he got to Blackrock College that his attention turned fully to rugby and, well, it was a pretty good decision in the end.
But, by his own admission, the fever that hits Ireland when the football team is doing in any way decent is incomparable.
Tis a fine morning for a read of the papers! #COYBIG
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) June 23, 2016
O’Driscoll will go down as one of the best rugby players ever. Every second of his 15-year international career was savoured and appreciated. He brought the good times and then some to his province and his country. But he knows it’s not on the same scale as what the football team can do for the people.
He witnessed it again first hand this summer when he was swept away in the magic of it all yet again.
“You look with incredible pride at that team performance against Italy where we had to win. You see the aftermath of it in the country,” the Irish legend spoke with a spark in his eye at the launch of eir Sport.
“I think the country gets behind the rugby team but I think it’s another level when the football team plays and when we get into European Championships or into the World Cup a couple of times.
“I think it’s an enormous achievement in itself to get there so then if you’re able to progress out of the group stage, I can understand why the country gets into a euphoric state.
“I was like everyone else shouting at my TV that day and incredibly proud to be an Irishman that day.”
You'll now have to watch Ireland reach the Rugby World Cup quarter-final on a whole new channel https://t.co/MVFEl7SxYk
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 5, 2016
The Dubliner of course had his fill of the international stage with Ireland.
Four times he led them in the World Cup but, four times, he came away unfulfilled that he couldn’t give his countrymen and women something more.
“That’s one of the great disappointments, not really doing anything in any of the World Cups,” he said. “I was watching when the trophy came out, I don’t really think that many people… it was like, ‘What trophy is that? Is that Wimbledon?’ because you’ve never seen an Irishman this close to that trophy.
“It is one of the greats. I wanted to at least do what no other Irish team has done before and I had four cracks at it but two quarter-finals isn’t a whole lot to write home about.
“You get the sense that, if we were drilled like the team are now under Joe Schmidt, maybe there would’ve been a more positive outcome.
“I’m envious of some of the guys that are being coached by him at the moment. Just the quality and the competitiveness – no matter what personality he puts out, no matter what our injury situation, we’re still always in the mix. And that can’t be said as always being the case with Irish teams.”
Don’t worry, Brian. You did alright yourself.
Brian O’Driscoll was speaking at the launch of eir Sport, formerly Setanta Sports and the eir Sport Pack. The eir Sport pack includes six channels is now free to all existing and new eir broadband customers.
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