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It really had to be Paris! It was there that a green-clad hero was thrice unsheathed in a blaze of tries. And it was there that he would complete his ascension to the pantheon of the greats with a symbol of glory hanging from his neck.
Irish rugby will probably never see the likes of Brian O’Driscoll again – but we can at least take solace from the fact that he got the most fitting of send-offs, both in the Aviva and in Paris.
During the championship, the Irish Times’ Gerry Thornley told Off The Ball that the 35-year-old’s list of international honours did not match his ability, particularly in the Rugby World Cup.
But a second title in the Northern Hemisphere’s premier competition goes a long way towards dispelling notions that he underachieved in terms of his medal count.
Despite all the tributes from the great and the good of rugby – not to mention countless pundits, fans and journalists alongside them – the send-off has left us with one difficult question: who’s going to replace BOD?
Brian ODriscoll speaks to the team late in the game against France during the RBS 6 Nations Championship Photo: ©INPHO/James Crombie
When a legend makes a position their own, there is always a danger that his successor will be over-shadowed and judged to the same exalted standard even in their developmental stage.
It is something that has reared its head in every team sport across the globe. From Argentina and their constant search for the new Maradona (only now do they have a good candidate in Lionel Messi) to the No 9 at Newcastle United and the No 16 at Manchester United, the search for a viable successor can become a local and national obsession. You only have to watch David Moyes sweat in the Old Trafford dugout to remind yourself how difficult it is to follow in the wake of an icon.
Indeed it can often be a millstone around a player’s neck as media and fans pile pressure on the ‘next big thing’, the label carrying with it an implicit expectation that they’ll replicate (or better) the achievements of their predecessor.
O’Driscoll himself has already earmarked Connacht’s Robbie Henshaw to follow in his footsteps long-term, saying that he has “all the attributes to be a seasoned campaigner” in the iconic number 13 shirt.
And when Off The Ball took a glance at the potential successors to BOD in the days following the heroics of Paris, former Leinster, Munster and Ireland lock Trevor Hogan echoed O’Driscoll’s view, saying: “Long term you’d like to see Robbie Henshaw stepping into that role.”
Of course, it’s important to remember that Henshaw is only 20, and it’s important that Henshaw and other candidates – Leinster’s Luke Fitzgerald and the Ulster duo of Jared Payne and Darren Cave, for instance – are allowed to grow into their respective roles without their performances being overly scrutinised or held up against those of O’Driscoll.
Ireland Wolfhounds Robbie Henshaw against England Saxons, January 2014 Photo: ©INPHO
That being said, big things are expected of Henshaw based on his impressive early performances for Connacht and the fact that he is already establishing himself within the Ireland set-up.
The Athlone-born talent started out at full-back for Connacht before gradually moving to outside centre. This season he has notched one try in the Heineken Cup, his first ever in the competition, while he has notched two tries in 18 Rabo Pro12 games – a tally that sounds all the more impressive when you consider his province’s poor form this season.
For Ireland, he made his debut during last summer’s North American tour at full-back against USA, before playing as a centre against Canada in his second test. Then, during the November Series match against Australia, the versatile Henshaw covered both full-back and 13 as a sub.
Perhaps most interestingly of all, though, was how he partnered Gordon D’Arcy at training in Carton House when BOD was sidelined with a calf problem – a tell-tale sign that Joe Schmidt sees his potential in that role.
But O’Driscoll would be the first to preach patience when it comes to giving Henshaw and others time to settle in.
This Six Nations campaign was always going to be a lap of honour for the man we call BOD. But the very nature of sport is that of a relay. What is vitally important is that whoever picks up the baton from Brian O’Driscoll at his finish line must not be pilloried if it becomes a weighty object in the early paces.
This article originally appeared in Newstalk Magazine for iPad in March, for more details go here.
