Remember when Brian O’Driscoll was going to be the all-conquering saviour of Irish rugby? Neither does he.
The rugged centre from Leinster has worn the green jersey 43 times, they even made him captain while hooker Keith Wood and his gleaming pate were out injured.
But the fact remains that BO’D hasn’t scored an international try for eight long, lean months.
On Sunday in Adelaide, the jolly green giants take on Argentina in the match which makes or breaks their quarter-final chances in Pool A, which we might, for argument’s sake, call the Group of Death, given that the hosts and holders Australia are expected to end on top of the five-strong pile.
Next Saturday in Melbourne it’s Ireland v Australia at a sold-out Telstra Dome. After the International Rules game between Ireland’s Gaelic Footballers at the MCG on Friday night and Australia’s Aussie Rules Footballers and before the Irish-dominated Melbourne Cup, the stakes will be even higher.
On a weekend when Guiness sales are expected to reach unprecedented levels in this cosmopolitan, mixed up city, Ireland have the chance to cement their place as the only other country Aussies have a grudging respect for. After all, Ned Kelly is their Robin Hood and which Emerald Isle do you think he came from?
For O’Driscoll these twin challenges weigh heavy upon the vast shoulders. The man who had Australia sitting up worried when he toured here with the Lions two years ago is roaring no longer. All those years of being the big threat for Blackrock College, Leinster and Ireland appear to have come to an end.
Look, we all remember when he equalled Brendan Mullin’s 18-try record. But guess who holds it now; yup, winger Denis Hickie, BO’D’s great backline rival. He says all the right things. Before today’s game his rallying cry ran along the lines of: ‘It’s do or die. If we lose this, we’ll be going home early like last time.â€
The O’Driscoll drought has become so severe, he even swaps shirts with centre partner Kevin Maggs, admitting: ‘We felt that certain teams were going for my No 13, so Maggsy and I swap numbers just to keep them guessing. ‘Against Namibia, when it was wet, I had trouble side-stepping people. Hopefully Adelaide will stay dry.â€
Next week the Aussies can rain dance all they want. The Telstra Dome here is protected by a roof. But O’Driscoll knows even that might not help. He says simply: ”I’m dying to get a score, I really am. Denis (Hickey) was trying to offload to me a few times against Namibia and the pass just wasn’t on. On three different
occasions he went to give it to me and it just wasn’t on.
”Eventually Shane Horgan scored and he turned around and said ‘I’m sorry, I tried to give it to you.’
”I wouldn’t mind scoring myself but the team is the bigger picture, to be perfectly honest.”
Four years ago in Lens of course, Argentina ended Ireland’s World Cup campaign at the Stade Felix Bollaert.
O’Driscoll, one of six of the current team who started that day, recalls: ”It was a very empty feeling. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen again. ”It was such an abrupt end to the competition. We were in the competition and then the next thing we found ourselves going home.
”It’s been a monkey on our back for the last four years, so sure we want to get rid of that and move on and upward. We’ve played them twice since then and shared the spoils so it’s going to be very even and a very tight game. ”Argentina’s big strengths are with their pack, and particularly their scrummaging.
”With every game you go through phases when hardly any gaps open up, so you
just have to have your patience as a back and wait for your space to come about.â€
This time, win or lose against Argentina, Ireland have the chance to redeem themselves if they can beat the Australians here next Saturday. That’s a huge if.