Brian O’Driscoll has by no means been busier as a rugby pundit. With Stuart Hogg at present off-screen, the Eire legend has taken up the slack on TNT Sports activities and Gallagher Premiership obligation, one thing that was as soon as a rarity, is now a standard incidence.
Hours after being at Ashton Gate on Might 11 for the Bears’ loss to Saracens, RugbyPass ran into O’Driscoll at Bristol airport after he had taken a quick automobile up the street from Exeter with Craig Doyle to catch his Ryanair flight again to Dublin following protection of Chiefs beating Harlequins.
Paths crossed once more final Saturday at Saracens the place Sale brought on an upset to shake up the semi-final pairings, and it is going to be the identical this Saturday at Tottenham when Leinster and Toulouse rendezvous for the 2024 Investec Champions Cup closing.
O’Driscoll sweetly set the scene for this appetising blockbuster when popping up on a Zoom name final Wednesday, briskly waltzing his approach by means of 10 solely allotted minutes of questioning as deftly as he famously left these Wallabies defenders trailing in his wake all these years in the past at The Gabba when touring Australia with the British and Irish Lions.
Nonetheless, earlier than we acquired caught into blitz defence, Jacques Nienaber, the Leinster group he wished to see picked, and the surprise that has been the Jamison Gibson-Park flourish, there was a touchline question to deal with.
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When Owen Farrell obtained a guard of honour heading onto the StoneX Stadium pitch final Saturday for what was his final house look forward of his swap to Racing 92, O’Driscoll, who was on the working monitor and stationed simply metres away, stored his arms firmly folded. Why?
“I used to be in my very own world clearly as a result of if ever there was somebody that I might applaud onto a pitch it could be Owen Farrell,” he insisted. “I’m an enormous Owen Farrell fan, I respect numerous what he’s doing and I all of the extra respect him for what he’s doing now for taking a break from issues (in England). He warrants it, that’s for positive.”
O’Driscoll is having fun with his Premiership work. “{That a} fairly spectacular factor for Sale to do,” he enthused about Alex Sanderson’s aspect successful away at Saracens for the primary time in 19 years.
He’ll resume this beat subsequent weekend with that competitors right down to its closing 4, however this weekend’s journey to England is for Champions League obligation although the competing FA Cup closing soccer fixture at Wembley does have its attract for the long-time Manchester United fan.
Tottenham is the rugby marking – his tenth European closing as a TV pundit since his 2014 participant retirement – and O’Driscoll will arrive involved for the Leinster blitz defence off the scrum.
His worry, one thing he initially alluded to when doing punditry for Irish radio station Newstalk, is that some alternatives Northampton couldn’t take within the semi-final may now be snapped up by Toulouse.
“What I mentioned was I might not prefer to defend in a blitz defence like that off set-play and, particularly, scrum. Lineout you’d handle effective as a result of there are extra our bodies, you might be getting some tail gunners, you might be most likely getting a little bit little bit of help. However I believe it’s a actually, actually powerful ask for any 13.
“It’s humorous, I used to be trying again on the semi-final and there’s one scrum that Northampton will probably be kicking themselves as a result of (Tommy) Freeman ended knocking the ball on but when they exit the again to Fin Smith, he’s miles across the nook. James Lowe just isn’t linked. There are two extra gamers in assault – that ought to be attempt time. It does really feel as if there’s vulnerability or frailty at scrum time in a blitz defence.
“In equity to (Robbie) Henshaw, he has the capability to learn these conditions however that’s not what the function is. It’s meant to be first for hearth it shut. He’s pretty much as good as there’s on the market. Him and Garry (Ringrose) learn very nicely. It’s only a matter of whether or not the animation in assault will probably be pretty much as good because it was from Northampton Saints however you then decide the precise choices.
“So, the hustle, the scramble coming from Gibson-Park and from different gamers diving beneath the defensive position can have significance in having the ability when you get busted to trace individuals again. However I believe with actually good groups, in the event that they present accuracy and commit defenders inside, they positively can create area and try-scoring alternatives off first part.”
It’s a possible weak point of the brand new rearguard method beneath Nienaber, the ex-Springboks head coach who has succeeded former England boss Stuart Lancaster as Leo Cullen’s senior Leinster coach. Together with his outdated membership heading into its third successive closing look after losses to La Rochelle in 2022 and 2023, how does O’Driscoll evaluate the respective Nienaber/Lancaster eras?
“The function remit could be very totally different,” he prompt. “The evolution of Stuart from yr one by means of to yr seven or eight would have been vital. He took defence and assault, and Jacques has are available in and redefined what defence seems to be like from a Leinster perspective as a lot time, effort, and vitality must have gone into it.
“It’s very exhausting to then give that very same focus in the direction of your assault recreation when you’re sort of reinventing a defensive system. So because of this, the defence and the physicality seems to be significantly better this yr. Maybe Leinster’s achilles heel was the place it felt groups may bodily dominate them.
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“Now that’s their modus operandi; it’s huge, bodily groups that they go and dominate however I don’t suppose that the assault recreation has fairly been as sharp because it has the final two years. They have been overwhelming favourites going into each finals (in opposition to La Rochelle) and got here off second-best as a result of they didn’t handle to ship on the large stage.
“They must use that as big motivation and I simply don’t suppose the time and vitality and energy has most likely gone into scrutinising the standard of passing, the traces of working, all of that as a result of the defence has taken such a spotlight. It’s nonetheless good. It’s simply not fairly as sharp because it was in earlier years.”
Leinster have been crushed by three factors in Marseille two seasons in the past, and the margin was a single level a yr in the past in Dublin earlier than Lancaster headed off to take cost at Racing. How a lot credit score will Nienaber get if Leinster end this newest closing topped champions?
“Hear, one factor about this Leinster group with Leo on the helm, they’ve at all times been completely satisfied to share the success. It’s not at all times been about a person but when the defence has a significant impression on the sport, in fact Jacques will deserve big credit score as a result of he has are available in and adjusted what was a powerful Leinster defence anyway, albeit a completely totally different system, and stamped his personal mark on it.
“He mentioned that it was going to take a time frame, that it was going to time to succeed, and it seems to be as if they’re actually getting a way of it. You’ll think about they will be a group which can be going to get higher year-on-year the extra they do it with this defensive system.
“If you find yourself studying one thing new like that, there are going to be teething issues, you’ll leak tries. However when you can restrict the quantity the quantity of occasions you might be busted then the upside to that ferocity of line velocity can have vital impression and truly flip your defence into an attacking weapon as nicely, which is an actual focus of any blitz defence.”
O’Driscoll prompt Cullen would verify a beginning XV displaying three modifications from the 20-17 semi-final win over Northampton, with Hugo Keenan, James Ryan, and Will Connors included on the expense of Ciaran Frawley, Ross Molony, and Josh van der Flier.
One participant whose choice ought to ignite no debate in any way is Gibson-Park. The Kiwi carried little clout when he first arrived at Leinster in 2016 have exited a Tremendous Rugby stint on the Hurricanes the place most of his appearances have been as a sub.
That bit-part function remained the identical in Dublin for an age, as there have been simply 5 Champions Cup begins in 29 appearances earlier than he lastly acquired forward of Luke McGrath in 2021/22.
He has additionally grow to be Andy Farrell’s first-choice Eire scrum-half, sparking claims he’s now one of many world’s finest able the place he’ll go head-to-head versus Antoine Dupont this Saturday.
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The energetic expertise he’s displaying on the age of 32 is one thing few, if any, believed attainable when he landed in Dublin eight years in the past as an underwhelming 24-year-old. Clarify the transformation.
“Hear, generally it’s about recreation plan, it’s about type, it’s about confidence ranges, about being a pupil of the sport and focusing and understanding how one can add to your talent set,” reckoned O’Driscoll.
“Andy Farrell was somebody who recognized Jamison Gibson-Park as an enormous asset earlier than he was even the primary selection for Leinster.
“He talked about him, in regards to the tempo, the velocity, the standard and I believe confidence is a big element of any participant, and being first selection and getting a run of video games and enjoying very well conjures up you to maintain working exhausting at your recreation and the realisation that you’re doing the precise issues.
“There are a variety of various components however in the end he’s a really, superb rugby participant that simply sort of began growing and bringing his finest recreation a little bit bit later in life than some others do. Some individuals hit it at 20, 21. Others construct the IP and produce their finest of their late 20s, early 30s.”
Time’s now up and O’Driscoll is gone. As we mentioned on the high, he’s by no means been busier as a pundit.
Watch Leinster vs Toulouse within the Investec Champions Cup closing, solely stay on TNT Sports activities 1 and discovery+ from 1:30pm on Saturday. For more information go to tntsports.com
