Distracted: Brian O'Driscoll
Ireland centre Brian O'Driscoll has admitted to losing his focus in the game against England following the birth of his daughter.
O'Driscoll became a father for the first time on the morning of the match with England and put in a subdued performance in Dublin, which the former Lions captain put down to his mind being elsewhere following the morning's events.
"I don't even remember a lot of the game and I was in my own world for much of the time," said O'Driscoll to The Daily Telegraph.
"It was the sort of match that needed a bit of leadership from me but which I wasn't quite able to deliver as I usually would have hoped to have done. It was all quite bizarre. I didn't make any great errors but I didn't add a huge amount either. It was a day of extremes."
"I saw Amy's name flash up and I knew we were under way. She was unbelievably calm, a lot more so than I was. I rushed to the hospital, Sadie was born [by caesarean section], we all had an hour together and then I had to pack a bag and go to play rugby.
"It was very weird. The management had given me until 1.15pm. I was back at the hotel about midday. I didn't want to talk to anyone but I had to wolf down my food to refuel in time for kick-off.
"I was playing a game of that importance and yet, in an instant, my whole perspective had changed. This most wonderful thing had happened. Everything else paled into insignificance.
"Any loss to England is a sore one, but right after the game my mind switched back over to my wife and newborn daughter.
"I went straight there and didn't give the game another thought. At about 11 that night I met up with [former Ireland team-mates] Shane Horgan and Denis Hickie for a couple of beers to mark the occasion. It had been an unbelievable day, a draining day but the most amazing day imaginable.
"That was the greatest achievement of my life. Rugby has been and is important. But it's eclipsed at every level by a long way when you have a child. Games will come and go but some things are here to stay. It dominates your life. I would have thought a lot about rugby matters at this time of year. Now I don't have time to think about rugby at all. That's no bad thing, perhaps, with the results we've had over the last couple of weeks."
Comments
APV1 says...
"This most wonderful thing had happened. Everything else paled into insignificance."
Welcome to parenthood, BOD. Nothing will ever be the same again.
I'm ignoring the twunts who obviously have no idea. Parenthood doesn't make people special, but it's something I didn't appreciate until it came along. It's all about perspective and selflessness.
@ crunchfit - which RWC in 2018, I don't think he qualifies for the Womens'..?
;-)
@ georgesmith - I have no idea whether you had anything important to say, but I didn't understand it. there's a big difference between poor spelling (which can't be helped) and txt spk, which is for 14 year old girls.
Posted 10:43 07th March 2013
Wolf_Squirrel says...
Glad to read that O'Driscoll has shown great integrity and acknowledged that he should not have played. However, there is more to it than just his decision on the day. It does show the extent to which his wishes influence the bigger team management decisions off the pitch. We saw this on the pitch at Murrayfield too. To me it suggests that while the 'locus of control' officially lies with Heaslip/Kidney, in reality it does not at all. Did Kidney 'fudge' the decision? There is a precedent. 1-2 years ago Keith Earls pulled out of a game because his child was critically ill. Not exactly the same situation but the principal is the same - 'fitness for duty.' On the day, a decision not to play o'Driscoll should have been taken by Kidney.
Posted 03:23 01st March 2013
heart_of_oak says...
georgesmith - you're hoping for a reaction with that crap, aren't you ? Perhaps you resent the reaction many of us made to Fish's post.
OK, so here's my reaction. Prior to the Ireland England game, BoD was absolutely brilliant in the game against Wales. As Armchair General says, his performance put to bed any thought of retiring. So it was to be expected that he'd play the next game. If he'd been crap against Wales, maybe I could buy the argument that he shouldn't play against England. But he showed some of the best centre play I've ever seen. There's no reason why he might not perform to the same level in other games.
He had an off day against England but that shouldn't detract form the fact that he's a wonderful player. Until Ireland find a very talented replacement, you can expect BoD's name to be one of the first on the team sheet. I guarantee you this will be the case even if Kidney goes.
Posted 15:46 28th February 2013
THESKUTCH says...
How could anyone focus on the game when God gave birth to a baby girl??? The last time it happened we got Christmas!
Posted 23:16 27th February 2013
carpelone says...
J_Hdk
which is even better.
Having a daughter apparently is the only way to be taken seriously by a woman.
Posted 22:48 27th February 2013
georgesmith says...
to hell wif BOD. just stay home n be a wife if u kent giv over 80 per cent. u've let down the entire team n nation down. y r u so selfish. cud hev just stayed home n given another player chance to another player. this is the problem with veteran playerss. they r selfish for fame and money.
Posted 22:33 27th February 2013
dezz says...
To those not agreeing with Fish, fine, disagree, ignore him or slate him. Please stop asking to get him removed...Irishzimbabwean. We don't as yet live under a Marxist government, well, not yet but we are getting there. Fish, keep up the entertaining posts but I disagree that BOD is overrated. If it wasn't for him Ireland and rugby would've been a lot poorer. Maybe he should've stepped aside and let someone else play against England.
Posted 17:37 27th February 2013
honestpom says...
The Editor says FISH obviously does not have children, more like never even had a girlfriend.
Posted 17:12 27th February 2013
heart_of_oak says...
A great player, a possible Lions captain, a great servant to Irish rugby and to rugby in general, for many years. Fish was doing his homework when the Ireland Wales game was played so we won't worry too much about his comments, will we chaps ? What a wonderful and fitting send off it would be for BoD to be part of a victorious Lions team.
Posted 16:58 27th February 2013
seapointer says...
o'driscoll to go at end of the season----- teeing it up for a life is more important than a game
"That was the greatest achievement of my life. Rugby has been and is important. But it's eclipsed at every level by a long way when you have a child."
---ah well the great one deserves to go when he want. thanks for the memories
Posted 16:32 27th February 2013
crunchfit says...
@pentwynfarm
The reality is that he will keep playing as long as he sees himself as fit to do so. The man loves his sport. It's a fairly straightforward situation that the media keeps poking at and stirring so they have something to write about. It's a non-story. He'd play until the 2018 RWC if he could, but he has the sense to know when he will stop.
Posted 16:24 27th February 2013
crunchfit says...
@pentwynfarm
O'Driscoll has spoken at length about the end of his career because he is constantly being asked about it.
Posted 16:20 27th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
FISH: I think that's the lowest post I've ever seen on this site. Congrats. PR should post your personal details plus the comment to the Ireland team. If you don't see the need to procreate they can relieve you of your wedding tackle.
Posted 16:09 27th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Pentwth: i think he's the only Irish Player to win a man of the match award in this 6 nations. I thought his Wales game put that twilight argument to bed for a year.
Posted 16:04 27th February 2013
rugby_rockstar says...
Of course "Fush" doesn't have kids, He's Twelve! Why do you think we didn't hear from him during the school half term holiday.
Have to say though, that the posts on this thread (mine too) make for an entertaining and very silly read!
Posted 15:53 27th February 2013
Irishzimbabwean says...
PR - please remove Fish from your website.
Posted 15:43 27th February 2013
pentwynfarm says...
@armchairgeneral. Sure just having kids doesn't stop you being able to play top flight rugby. but we're talking about someone here who is in the twilight of his career and has already spoken at length about this possibly being his last season and it is just one more distraction for someone with one eye already on retirement.
Posted 15:21 27th February 2013
FISH says...
the birth of a child is a momentous thing? lol over 7 billion people populate this planet, the old man forgot his meds, he needs to get a refill or better yet the overrated no skill should just leave and raise his kid, it might be something he can actually do, cause he's forgotten how to play rugby
The editor says.... You obviously don't have children.
Posted 14:40 27th February 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
Pentwynfarm: garbage. Perhaps he should not play on the day his second child is born if he has one and its a game day baby. Other than that fathers can play rugby and there are a few with WC medals and I dare say a few good Lion dads too. Give him a few weeks and he'll be gagging to get out of the house and have excuses why he can't get up at night to do the necessary. I can only guess you have no kids
Posted 14:06 27th February 2013
crunchfit says...
He was still one of the better players on the pitch and provided the most effective linebreak for Ireland.
Ireland's game plan was a joke, offensively (as usual) and defensively (less usual). England's defensive plan was simple and the one they have always used under their current defence coaches. It's an embarrassment that the Irish coaching staff couldn't come up with something better than repeatedly attacking the defensive line head on. They knew EXACTLY how England would defend yet played straight into their hands. England's offense was easy to predict given the weather on the day and the fact that the kick and chase plays to their strengths and they frequently use it.
The Irish team were outthought with very simple strategy. That's it. How they weren't able to deal with it is beyond me. Bunch of amateurs stuck in the style of rugby from 10 years ago.
Posted 13:30 27th February 2013