O'Driscoll ready to fire again
Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll has warned Scotland he is ready to go on the rampage at Croke Park on Saturday.
Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll has warned Scotland he is ready to go on the rampage at Croke Park on Saturday.
O'Driscoll has shown only flashes of brilliance during Ireland's mixed start to the Six Nations as he continues to emerge from his post-World Cup slump.
The loss of Gordon D'Arcy to a broken arm and Shane Horgan's confinement to the bench after recovering from a rib problem has left O'Driscoll as the backs' main ball carrier.
And the Leinster centre will shoulder the responsibility by spearheading the assault against Frank Hadden's side, who prop up the championship table after two matches.
“We've lost Gordon and Shane so I want to get the ball into my hands a little bit more than I have done so far,” he said.
“I don't want to be running decoy lines all day. I want to try to create something. Getting my involvement in the game up is something I've consciously thought about. I also want to improve my contact levels.”
O'Driscoll's genius remains undiminished – one jink and burst of speed that swept him out of French hands in the 26-21 defeat in Paris could be emulated by only a handful of players.
But that vision has also ensured the 29-year-old is a marked man with opposition defences offering him minimal space to work his magic.
The increasing amount of technical analysis that goes into a game has affected O'Driscoll more than most, but he knows the limitations placed on himself create openings elsewhere.
“I made 15 tackles against France and I carried more than any other back other than Ronan O'Gara,” he said.
“This game isn't about stats, but it's nice to be able to check up on what you are achieving.
“There hasn't been a huge amount of room for me. People have been stopping a huge amount of what I'm trying to do. But if that's happening there has to be space in other areas and it's about exploiting that space.
“It's about being patient and waiting for opportunities. You can't force the issue. Gone are the days when you're going to get a free reign.
“When you've played nine seasons you're more of a known quantity and people are going to keep an eye on you. The preparation to meet individual players is huge these days. It's much tougher to break down those defences, to make those long runs.
“It's just about staying patient and being in control.”
O'Driscoll, who is struggling with a minor calf injury but expects to be fit to face the Scots, admits he is now as happy using brute strength as looking for the gap.
“I've a bit more power behind my punch these days. I'm not afraid to take ball up,” he said. “It's not just a case of trying to outrun people, now I'm also trying to take contact and get those off-loads.
“That can be as effective, if not more so, than just having out and out gas.”