Drico's "1 more year" official.

The IRFU have announced a new one year contract with Brian O'Driscoll which will see him remain available to play for Ireland and Leinster until the end of June 2014...

Brian made his senior Ireland and Leinster debuts in 1999 and has since gone on to appear 125 times for Ireland and 172 times for Leinster, scoring 46 international and 59 Leinster tries.

Ahead of this week's Amlin Challenge Cup final Brian has already won a Grand Slam, four triple crowns, three Heineken Cups and two RaboDirect PRO12 (Celtic League) championships.

Announcing the contract extension IRFU CEO Philip Browne, said: "The IRFU is delighted that Brian has chosen to sign a new contract, ensuring he remains available to Ireland and Leinster for one more year.

"Brian is a truly exceptional talent and there is no doubt that this new contract will boost our game, at every level, in the coming year. We wish him, his Leinster and indeed his Lions teammates all the very best in their forthcoming games and look forward to working with Brian in the 2013/14 season."

Joe Schmidt said: "It's great that Brian has agreed to continue playing. He's an inspirational player, not only on the pitch, but also on the training ground. He's played well again this season and other players continue to learn from him. I know that every squad of which he is a part will profit from his qualities both as a rugby player and a person."

Brian O'Driscoll said: "I want to thank the IRFU and Leinster for allowing me the time to think about my future and discuss my options with my family. The support my family and the Irish and Leinster fans have shown me over the past few months, and indeed years, has been phenomenal and I am now very much looking forward to one more year playing with Ireland and Leinster."

Wooooo and indeed Hooooo

Just long enough so he can hand the 13 shirt to Payne then?

I'm very happy. I wanted him to end his International career in an Irish jersey. That was important to me. He deserves that, and we deserve it. And now that will (might!) happen.

....hopefully going out on something of a high this time rather than the ignominious end of the last 6N!!

Ah sure, a double in the next 10 days, Beat the All blacks. A grand slam and then a 4th HC and the first HC Rabo double.........

Nice way to go.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Ah sure, a double in the next 10 days, Beat the All blacks. A grand slam and then a 4th HC and the first HC Rabo double.........

Nice way to go.

Payne you say ??

I like it.

Only played 172 times for Leinster? Surely that can't be right. Geordie has just retired having played over three hundred and thirty games for Tigers.

If he beats the ABs in Nov I think that really would mean outside of the world cup he has achieved everything he possibly can in the game of rugby. Probably wont happen but it would mark the end of a truely special career.

He'll need a long rest after the lions. Id like to see him play for Leinster but maybe rest him for the Autumn internationals?... So we can look at a new 13.

Geordie played in an English League and was worked like the proverbial carthorse. O'Driscoll played in the Celtic league with the cotton-wool hibernation periods...

LeinsterFan4life wrote:He'll need a long rest after the lions. Id like to see him play for Leinster but maybe rest him for the Autumn internationals?... So we can look at a new 13.

I'd want him for the AI's I have to say, one last shot at the AB's

LeinsterFan4life wrote:He'll need a long rest after the lions. Id like to see him play for Leinster but maybe rest him for the Autumn internationals?... So we can look at a new 13.

Last chance at the All Blacks? Would he seriously pass on that in preference for another chance of beating Wales in another 6N? If he's standing and able to breathe, he'll be asking to play against the All Blacks. And if Schmidt was instrumental in coaxing him to stay another year...he'll owe him the shot.... even for half a game.

I wouldn't recommend anyone be the person to tell him that he is not getting a last crack at the all blacks.

Look at a 13 during the Samoa game if your lucky.

I'm glad he's staying, I really didn't want it to end for Ireland on that 6 nations.

After a lions tour, France have always won the 6 nations (in the professional era).

Now given that France were poor last year, they may come back and win it? Ireland have France and England away, so its our bad year, but I think we can make a right good go at it. Wales have a lot of Lions, and will suffer, the English Lions will not be given the same chance to rest after the tour and durning the year that the Irish Lions will, and the Irish ones will be better recovered than the Welsh ones.

To me next 6 nations.
England, Best players given mininum rest
Wales, home players semi-rested, others flogged by thier clubs
Ireland, well rested
Scotland, well rested
France, the usual.
Italy, the usual.

With the free good factor that comes with having a new coach, I think, and think BoD is thinking the same way, is that Ireland have a really good chance this 6 nations.
England and Wales will prob be weaker this time due to the Lions tour, France can be great or woeful, and Scotland and Italy have come on and won't suffer the same as England and Wales.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:I wouldn't recommend anyone be the person to tell him that he is not getting a last crack at the all blacks.

Look at a 13 during the Samoa game if your lucky.

Exactly, plus if he has only signed a one year contract where is the benefit in "resting" him. He will want to play in every match before he retires and Ive no doubt Schmidt will too. Flog him to death I say.

.....Only 8 more caps to tie Georgie Gregan's test caps record.

GunsGerms wrote:.....Only 8 more caps to tie Georgie Gregan's test caps record.

And he beats it in the 6N... (Lions caps vs Aus count?)

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:.....Only 8 more caps to tie Georgie Gregan's test caps record.

And he beats it in the 6N... (Lions caps vs Aus count?)

Yes if he gets Lions test caps they do count.

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:.....Only 8 more caps to tie Georgie Gregan's test caps record.

And he beats it in the 6N... (Lions caps vs Aus count?)

yes Lions caps count. Plus he will break Rog's Irish cap record.

He will only holding the record for "Sir Rutchie" to surpass.

So potentially he'll end up on 141 caps in total...

GunsGerms wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:I wouldn't recommend anyone be the person to tell him that he is not getting a last crack at the all blacks.

Look at a 13 during the Samoa game if your lucky.

Exactly, plus if he has only signed a one year contract where is the benefit in "resting" him. He will want to play in every match before he retires and Ive no doubt Schmidt will too. Flog him to death I say.

What was the massive criticsm of EOS? His failure to even think about finding replacements for senior players. Kidney got in the neck for being conservative with his team selections (then pilloried for selecting the team that people were calling for when it lost!) but he never allowed sentimentality to get in the way. He dropped Shaun Payne for Denis Hurley and left Axel off the 22 for the 2008 HEC Final as it was the right thing to do by the team.

But because it is BOD (or ROG) suddenly we can afford to be sentimental? To eschew the opportunity to develope a player for the 2015 RWC and beyond?? FFS, this is moronic. This is exactly what people were criticising Deccie for with his apparent failure to find back up in certain positions. Schmidt will select BOD for at least the Autumn Ints, so 2 of the 3 games we will learn nothing new. Yay...

Please do not get me wrong, BOD is a once in 3 generations rugby player and is still operating at an extraordinarily high level, but it is highly unlikely that he will still be at that level come June 2014, but he will in all liklihood given the extention and personalities involved, still be Ireland's 13 for the 6Nations. That mean we "lose" 7 opportunities (2 AIs + 5 6N) to develope his replacement and his replacements cover option. I do not care who that guy is, but with max 25 games between now and the 1st Pool game of the RWC, those 7 games are too much to give over to sentimentality, to a collective vanity.

I could be wrong and he might be fit and fresh and available for the RWC, or he could be retired in November from Int duty and thus his replacement will have lost only the 2 games, but I doubt that is how he or Schmidt plan it. I will hold my hands up unreservedly if that is the case but I shan't be biting my tongue, if he loses form or gets injured and simply isn't an option after June next year and we have no-one who except Earls when BOD was injured and Cave against 2nd tier opponants who have played 13 for Ireland. But hey, people will probably still blame Deccie for that.

To be clear, I hope I am very wrong and that when BOD finishes, he does so at a good time for Ireland and in the whole of his health (and that is more important than anything else imho) but I fear for both the squad in the former and himself in the latter.

In fairness if BOD is still doing the business then he deserves his place on the team. Schmidt will rotate the squad more than Kidney or EOS. Having BOD there could be the difference between winning and losing games.


Btw this isn't big news. It would be big news if he announced his retirement but it always looked like he was going to stay on.

Good news - a lot of pressure on the poor fecker though.
I can see BOD being wheeled out when he's 40.

Hopefully the IRU will pay for his hip replacements.

Terrific argument that a 12. Gibson 13. O'Driscoll centre pairing would have been the most imperious NH partnership of all time. Love it.

debaters1 wrote:

Please do not get me wrong, BOD is a once in 3 generations rugby player and is still operating at an extraordinarily high level, but it is highly unlikely that he will still be at that level come June 2014, but he will in all liklihood given the extention and personalities involved, still be Ireland's 13 for the 6Nations. That mean we "lose" 7 opportunities (2 AIs + 5 6N) to develope his replacement and his replacements cover option. I do not care who that guy is, but with max 25 games between now and the 1st Pool game of the RWC, those 7 games are too much to give over to sentimentality, to a collective vanity.

Schmidt can't afford sentimentality. He has to hit the ground running. No not necessarily winning, but having Ireland playing a more dangerous, less predictable game. He has a reputation he's as precious about as O'Driscoll is of his. Plus, he'll have All Blacks future prospects in the back of his mind.

Schmidt can't afford sentimentality. And his comments in the lead up to O'Driscoll's announcement and subsequent to it...and his use of O'Driscoll in the Leinster set-up.... is proof that he doesn't in any way see O'Driscoll's continued presence for either Leinster or International as sentimental.

O'Driscoll plays 13 better than any hopeful out there...still. Therefore if Ireland want to progress out of their slump and get back a more stable winning mentality then O'Driscoll playing won't be holding anyone back, if fit. Alternatives will have their moments as I feel Schmidt will be asking players to speak up for themselves in 6N games (a bit of a rotation policy rather than just injuries forcing changes to a select 15.)

I bet he's staying because Joe asked him to.

George Carlin wrote:I bet he's staying because Joe asked him to.

..with a tear in his eye?

debaters1 wrote:
What was the massive criticsm of EOS? His failure to even think about finding replacements for senior players. Kidney got in the neck for being conservative with his team selections (then pilloried for selecting the team that people were calling for when it lost!) but he never allowed sentimentality to get in the way. He dropped Shaun Payne for Denis Hurley and left Axel off the 22 for the 2008 HEC Final as it was the right thing to do by the team.

But because it is BOD (or ROG) suddenly we can afford to be sentimental? To eschew the opportunity to develope a player for the 2015 RWC and beyond?? FFS, this is moronic. This is exactly what people were criticising Deccie for with his apparent failure to find back up in certain positions. Schmidt will select BOD for at least the Autumn Ints, so 2 of the 3 games we will learn nothing new. Yay...
.

I think people were critical of Kidney for producing a team with no clue in attack and for continually picking players like D'Arcy,DoC and RoG when there were obviously better players left kicking their heels.There is nobody better than BoD just yet but I don't doubt that Schmidt will give players other than BoD gametime in the 13 shirt.

OK I'm going to throw cauld water on this.... cause I'm in that sort of killjoy mood today...

Brian is a legend... no an uber Legend! Ireland greatest ever sportsmen and arguably greatest citizen fullstop (feic off Joyce ya waffler...).

However the last 2 seasons have been the worst of his career. He's struggled with injury after injury and really struggled to get a good run of games or form together.

This year he's hobbled his way through most games, missed tackles he wouldn't have even a year ago and hasn't done much of note in attack, bar a few flashes for Leinster and a good game against Wales in an other wise poor 6N.

If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt its Drico but his body real looks to have gone now and I'm wondeing is his heart is ruling his head here. I'm sure he'd love to work with Joe but when your time is up it's up.

I'm not convinced he can make through the next two weekends let alone the lions tour but no one will be happier than me if I have to eat those words....

UlstermaninGlasgow wrote:So potentially he'll end up on 141 caps in total...

1.....139.....George Gregan.....Australia.....1994–2007

2.....131.....Brian O'Driscoll.....Ireland (125).....British and Irish Lions (6).....1999–2013

3.....130.....Ronan O'Gara.....Ireland (128).....British and Irish Lions (2).....2000–2013

If he played every test for Ireland and the Lions (without June 2014 tests) he would be on 142.....Ireland (133).....British and Irish Lions (9)

George Carlin wrote:I bet he's staying because Joe asked him to.

I bet hes staying because Joe got the job and he likes working with JS.

Can he make it to the next RWC?

If he's good enough he's good enough. Whats the point of doing another year to a point where you are only 12 months from another RWC???

It would be bad for Ireland's development if he leaves just before... both from a player and a leadership perspective.

They will have to do a Ryan Giggs to him though.... manage him specifically. Cut down on his games to maybe 20 a year (both club and country)

I half agree with Rodders. He's nowhere near the player he once was. But is there a better Irish 13 eve now? Don't think so. And I can't imagine supporting Ireland or Leinster or even the Lions, without BOD in the team.

There are Leinster season ticket holders who weren't even born when BOD got his first cap!

Feckless Rogue wrote:I half agree with Rodders. He's nowhere near the player he once was. But is there a better Irish 13 eve now? Don't think so. And I can't imagine supporting Ireland or Leinster or even the Lions, without BOD in the team.

There are Leinster season ticket holders who weren't even born when BOD got his first cap!

Yeah. But they are playing for the U14s

I'm sure he knows himself that there's no guarantee.

He might last one more Irish International game or he might have one more vintage 2009. He's that kind of player.

But one thing he will give, whether the body is able or not, is 100% of his will and determination. I think many people overlook the fact that that quality is actually his greatest one. As we saw in this 6N, he gives his all, even when out on his feet and being pushed unceremoniously out of the way by an impatient Healy.

I feel bad to have to point this out, but to me he seemed a player very much on the physical downhill side of things. One doesn't need to be a doctor to see the signs of an older player with a lot of mileage and injuries. And the injuries are almost always cumulative. I would not be at all surprised he gets injured on the Lions tour or back with Leinster or Ireland in the autumn. Probably plays only a small number of games.

On the other hand, there are probably a handful of players who have what it takes to prove this wrong. And O'Driscoll would be one of them. I hope so because he is such a good player and is good for Rugby. But all my instincts tell me no.

It seems pretty apparent to me, that Schmidt knows there are no good enough 13s in the country right now, but next summer there will be, hence trying to convince BOD to fill the gap.

Schmidt wants Payne at 13, I promise you.

George Carlin wrote:I bet he's staying because Joe asked him to.

I bet he is staying because he wants one more crack at the ABs (and doesn't want Nil v NZ last game on his CV). He has tweeted he will definately be retiring next year, so he won't be around for the RWC.

doctor_grey wrote:I feel bad to have to point this out, but to me he seemed a player very much on the physical downhill side of things. One doesn't need to be a doctor to see the signs of an older player with a lot of mileage and injuries. And the injuries are almost always cumulative. I would not be at all surprised he gets injured on the Lions tour or back with Leinster or Ireland in the autumn. Probably plays only a small number of games.

On the other hand, there are probably a handful of players who have what it takes to prove this wrong. And O'Driscoll would be one of them. I hope so because he is such a good player and is good for Rugby. But all my instincts tell me no.

Grey ya chancer! i've already pointed that out!

doctor_grey wrote:I feel bad to have to point this out, but to me he seemed a player very much on the physical downhill side of things. One doesn't need to be a doctor to see the signs of an older player with a lot of mileage and injuries. And the injuries are almost always cumulative. I would not be at all surprised he gets injured on the Lions tour or back with Leinster or Ireland in the autumn. Probably plays only a small number of games.

On the other hand, there are probably a handful of players who have what it takes to prove this wrong. And O'Driscoll would be one of them. I hope so because he is such a good player and is good for Rugby. But all my instincts tell me no.

Oh you're absolutely right, grey. O'Driscoll is a total cumulative wreck. But a glorious one.

This - is - Sparta!

rodders wrote:Grey ya chancer! i've already pointed that out!

Sorry mate. Reading is not my strong point.........

SecretFly wrote:O'Driscoll is a total cumulative wreck. But a glorious one.

This - is - Sparta!

Not too bad. Not too bad at all!