BOD

What can I say.


      


Best NH player ever.

Thank you for the memories.

Scrumpy wrote:What can I say.


      


Best NH player ever. (Maybe and open to discussion)

Thank you for the memories.

Other than that agree with you.

I would predict that when the time comes for Connor Murray or Jonathan Sexton to retire they will have achieved something that Brian O'Driscoll didnt.

aucklandlaurie wrote: I would predict that when the time comes for Connor Murray or Jonathan Sexton to retire they will have achieved something that Brian O'Driscoll didnt.

I hope so! The scalp we've been waiting for.

But I don't think anyone will achieve the sheer number of records BOD holds for a very, very long time.

Waiting for?

I admire your patience.

In 20 years of watching rugby Brian isn't the best player I've seen, Ritchie McCaw is.

After this there's no question for me Brian is the best in the professional era. My boyhood rugby rugby hero was Christian Cullen - I never imagined within my lifetime I'd see an Irish player comparable and for 5-6 seasons that's what Brian was, every time he had the ball he seemed able to open defences at will.

However what sets O'Driscoll apart from the Cullens and Jason Robinsons, magically gifted players, is that his career didn't end when the edge went from his attack and pace - he got even better.

It's been said a few times recently that he changed Irish rugby - I'd go a stage further and say he changed Irish life generally his impact is that great. I don't expect to ever see the likes of it again. Halcyon days.   

I'm so glad his last act in a green jersey was to lift the 6 Nations title. In Paris, where it all began. What a way to go. It would have been rude to beat the All Blacks and break every record. He's left that for the next generation.

Look at Ireland before O'Driscoll, and Ireland now after O'Driscoll. There has been lots of good work across the board in Irish rugby for the last 15 years. But he's had about as big an impact on a sport that a single player can have. And we were just lucky to watch him for 15 years.

Whether it's Leinster, Ireland or the Lions, I've never actually supported a team that didn't have O'Driscoll in it.

He could be President if he wanted to run for it. He's loved that much in Ireland.

He is loved here too fella  

BOD is a hero, but if we are going to be honest he isn't the best centre ever, and probably wasn't even in his own time, with Mortlock perhaps above him as an allround player (even though this will be hard to convince some of this). His service to his country is hard to beat however and will go down as a true legend of the game.

Brian, Brian, Brian...... why?

Why did you choose the number 13?

It haunts me.

A perfect number now even though it's one people more usually shy away from.

13 - you gave it respect, you gave it a whole new meaning and you gave it some of the most beautiful cinematic moments.

Thankyou for all of it; for every drop of real blood and every moment you raised yourself off the ground and commanded the coaches not to remove you from the battlefield.  Undeniably noble, even in defeat.  But most especially, thankyou for reviving the reputation of the number 13 and making it a star.

Feckless Rogue wrote:I'm so glad his last act in a green jersey was to lift the 6 Nations title. In Paris, where it all began. What a way to go. It would have been rude to beat the All Blacks and break every record. He's left that for the next generation.

Look at Ireland before O'Driscoll, and Ireland now after O'Driscoll. There has been lots of good work across the board in Irish rugby for the last 15 years. But he's had about as big an impact on a sport that a single player can have. And we were just lucky to watch him for 15 years.

Whether it's Leinster, Ireland or the Lions, I've never actually supported a team that didn't have O'Driscoll in it.

Was very happy to lose the 6Ns to see that happen. What a player. Best of luck to him in retirement.

Better than Gareth Edwards.....no way.

When you look at BOD and what he has achieved there are many superlatives that can be used. However at the end of the day he was a winner a decent mate to a lot of people and an all round nice guy. As a rugby player he was excellent in that he never made a mistake and worked to improve himself every time. He was a player that never had to resort to foul play even though it was visited him on occassions (sadly), and whose class shone out. To a certain extent it is fitting that he finished his career in France where the French can only appreciate a player of his ilk and where he started his intl career. I am not sure that anywhere else would he have got the reception he received in the Stade de France this evening when his name was called out....

ME-109 wrote:When you look at BOD and what he has achieved there are many superlatives that can be used. However at the end of the day he was a winner a decent mate to a lot of people and an all round nice guy. As a rugby player he was excellent in that he never made a mistake and worked to improve himself every time. He was a player that never had to resort to foul play even though it was visited him on occassions (sadly), and whose class shone out. To a certain extent it is fitting that he finished his career in France where the French can only appreciate a player of his ilk and where he started his intl career. I am not sure that anywhere else would he have got the reception he received in the Stade de France this evening when his name was called out....

Despite what we have seen on 606v2 and other fora during the Lions of 13, let me reassure you he would have had massive respect paid to him should his last game have been in Wales.... and I'm sure any other stadia in the NH at least...

RDSguru wrote:

ME-109 wrote:When you look at BOD and what he has achieved there are many superlatives that can be used. However at the end of the day he was a winner a decent mate to a lot of people and an all round nice guy. As a rugby player he was excellent in that he never made a mistake and worked to improve himself every time. He was a player that never had to resort to foul play even though it was visited him on occassions (sadly), and whose class shone out. To a certain extent it is fitting that he finished his career in France where the French can only appreciate a player of his ilk and where he started his intl career. I am not sure that anywhere else would he have got the reception he received in the Stade de France this evening when his name was called out....

Despite what we have seen on 606v2 and other fora during the Lions of 13, let me reassure you he would have had massive respect paid to him should his last game have been in Wales.... and I'm sure any other stadia in the NH at least...

Possibly...but the French have an appreciation which might not be so sure in some of the other stadia.

I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure he'd have got a standing ovation anywhere here as well. He's been so influential, and played for so long at the highest level, that most fans anywhere respect him.

I think yesterday's win was an embodiment of how BOD's career looked in the final stages. It wasn't entirely convincing but it was built on unquestionable determination, grit and character. A fitting match to end his illustrious career that with the benefit of hindsight will mean more to him than a Paris romp and try fest. Ireland were made to fight for that win and that is what BOD always did for Ireland when he took the field. The pace and magic may have waned but the grit and character were not failing.

It's a very rare thing for an athlete to be the principle catalyst in lifting a whole sport within a country to a new level of accomplishment. But you'd have to be seriously one-eyed to deny that's what he has done. He has had support from some of the best Irish players in 3 generations, but a lot of credit has to go to him as he has never shirked the responsibilities of being a figurehead. Countless kids will have been inspired to give rugby a go because of him, and that's probably the best legacy a professional sportsman can leave his country.

Like his ghostly colleague in the centre, Mike Gibson, I think that he will be remembered with a huge amount of respect for his longevity almost as much as his skills as a player. Nice to see him going out at the top.

He always said he wanted to be remembered for his toughness more than anything else. Defining moment of the Championship for BOD was Scott Williams taking the chance to drop the shoulder into him... BOD got up and played on, but Williams had to leave the pitch injured.

Warrior.

This has been made about one player but really the thread should pay tribute to;

Cian Healy
Jack McGrath
Rory Best
Sean Cronin
Mike Ross
Martin Moore
Paul O'Connell
Devin Toner
Dan Tuohy
Iain Henderson
Peter O'Mahony
Rhys Ruddock
Chris Henry
Tommy O'Donnell
Jordi Murphy
Jamie Heaslip
Conor Murray
Isaac Boss
Eoin Reddan
Jonathon Sexton
Paddy Jackson
Ian Madigan
Dave Kearney
Luke Marshall
Gordon D'Arcy
Brian O'Driscoll
Fergus McFadden
Andrew Trimble
Rob Kearney

Because this year it was down to the ultimate squad effort! Great teamwork from all the guys.

Totally agree Notch, every player who took to the pitch played their part. I can't recall in any Irish thread any criticism of any player which shows how well everyone played.

So glad Trimble got a big moment too with Horgan and O'Gara either side of him...interrogating him!

Such a quiet dignified guy but you really see how much his 'second chance' means to him and how he worded it was perfect.

Yesterday was about the team, Notch is right.  They deserved what they got and they deserved it because in the end it was so tough to get.  The toughness of the encounter will make it all the more sweeter to all the guys when they settle down to think about it.

In BOD, it wasn't about that game - or even this 6N.  It was just a final release - and a remembrance of all those near misses that he was part of when he didn't have the kind of team he has now around him.  So it was a thankyou from Ireland and the players not for this season but thanking him for the totality of his career and indeed some of the players thanking him for their childhood memories.  We forget sometimes that he played yesterday with some players who were fans of his as kids.

Bod's determeined to make everyone look like a moron when you criticize him. Great final two games, even though I wouldn't have given him MOTM yesterday he did play well.

My best recent BOD memory was on the 2009 Lions tour, when Drico found himself at the bottom of a tackle mound in (I think it was) the second test with Bakkies Botha standing over him, feigning as though to punch him when he was lying prone on his back.

Cameras clearly picked up O'Driscoll laughing and saying "well? you'd better come on, then".

Lovely stuff.

George Carlin wrote:My best recent BOD memory was on the 2009 Lions tour, when Drico found himself at the bottom of a tackle mound in (I think it was) the second test with Bakkies Botha standing over him, feigning as though to punch him when he was lying prone on his back.

Cameras clearly picked up O'Driscoll laughing and saying "well? you'd better come on, then".

Lovely stuff.

I think your memory is a bit hazy there mate... It was Bismarck Du Plessis and BOD was cacking his dacks after starting it...

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcGyWqQNPBs

Fantasticbarnsmell wrote:

George Carlin wrote:My best recent BOD memory was on the 2009 Lions tour, when Drico found himself at the bottom of a tackle mound in (I think it was) the second test with Bakkies Botha standing over him, feigning as though to punch him when he was lying prone on his back.

Cameras clearly picked up O'Driscoll laughing and saying "well? you'd better come on, then".

Lovely stuff.

I think your memory is a bit hazy there mate... It was Bismarck Du Plessis and BOD was cacking his dacks after starting it...

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcGyWqQNPBs

Jeez. That Pilsner Urquell is strong stuff.

Why would BOD worry about a fist or two when he's been hit by massive locomotives for 14 solid painful years - and outlasted many of those locomotives too?

As a fan of rugby I'm sorry to see him go, one of the best players of his era and one of the best leaders and players if not the best leader and player Ireland have ever had. World class player, legend. A trophy to bow out on was the very least he deserved.

As a fan of Welsh rugby I'm glad we'll never have to deal with him again. Always gave us a solid test even when the players around him couldn't and has been at the centre (pardon the pun) of many Irish wins over Wales, indeed I felt he was the difference for a few. And whenever we did manage to beat him was always more of a reason to feel proud for it as he's a class operator and, as I said, never made it easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JLASzADsaI

Thanks for the memories Brian    

Good luck to him what ever path he chooses but personally I can't stand him I will be glad to see the back of his smug grin, his connections through Leinster Ireland and the IRB are ridiculous so I guess he will always be the sweetheart.
personally think POC as the most influential Irish player of the 21st century thus far.

Thanks Dave. Contribution noted and will be filed away safely under Miscellaneous.

On BOD v POC? We'll take both. We're greedy like that I suppose.

I always thought Rob Henderson was a better Centre

A legend.

   

Scratch wrote:Better than Gareth Edwards.....no way.

Yes, let's be honest mr Edwards was ok but not by modern standards?

DeludedOptimistorjustDave wrote:Good luck to him what ever path he chooses but personally I can't stand him I will be glad to see the back of his smug grin, his connections through Leinster Ireland and the IRB are ridiculous so I guess he will always be the sweetheart.
personally think POC as the most influential Irish player of the 21st century thus far.

Flamin nora, even the most one eyed Munster supporter wouldnt say that about BOD...

I think POC should have let BOD lift the trophy!

Scrumpy wrote:I think POC should have let BOD lift the trophy!

Yeah and the President of Ireland should make way for him as well...

Scrumpy wrote:

Scratch wrote:Better than Gareth Edwards.....no way.

Yes, let's be honest mr Edwards was ok but not by modern standards?

You can't really judge him by modern standards, but only by the standards of his time. Was Willie John McBride not a great second row? Undoubtedly, he was a Lions Legend. Doesn't change the fact that 3 out of 4 of the centres from the Wales-France game were actually taller and heavier than him. No word of a lie!

Thats why I always say BOD is the greatest of the professional era, because you just can't compare today to the good old days it's a different thing altogether.

Scrumpy wrote:I think POC should have let BOD lift the trophy!

He turned down the opportunity to captain the team. I'd imagine he was trying to keep his head down.

(for the record, POC had ROG lift the Heineken Cup with him in 2008 - POC had missed a couple of months through injury, and ROG had captained the team in his absence.

He did similar I think with Mick O'Driscoll for the Pro12 (Mick used to captain the team in his absence).

mckay1402 wrote:I always thought Rob Henderson was a better Centre

Rob Henderson is a legend.

I'll miss him. He graced the stage.

There are players that whatever the team, you miss them when they are gone. He was one of those. And it certainly eased the sting to see him with the trophy this year. Well deserved too - Ireland were the best side through the tournament, as their points difference shows.

It's interesting to me that his career has been marked, start and finish, against France. Perhaps his biggest legacy is that future generations will have their sights set even higher than that.

Scrumpy wrote:

Scratch wrote:Better than Gareth Edwards.....no way.

Yes, let's be honest mr Edwards was ok but not by modern standards?

You are a cure for insomnia Scrumpy.

Are you honestly telling me that you think Gareth Edwards is a better player than BOD?

Yes Edwards was good and he would have been useful even by today’s standards, but the quality of the players around him was poor; BOD on the other hand has stood out as a top performer for so long he has to be regarded as a better player.

Scratch has left the building!

Scrumpy wrote:Are you honestly telling me that you think Gareth Edwards is a better player than BOD?

Yes Edwards was good and he would have been useful even by today’s standards, but the quality of the players around him was poor; BOD on the other hand has stood out as a top performer for so long he has to be regarded as a better player.

In South Africa he's known as the greatest player of all time.

Thats South Africans remember, the people who refuse to give credit to anyone born north of Polokwane.... and why I think people should take a note from how well he is respected in one of the two great rugby nations in the world.

BOD is revered in Ireland and in the NH..... Gareth Edwards is revered around the world. Thats a big difference.

I have been watching rugby since the 1960's

For me there have been 3 stand out backs in the Northern Hemisphere - O'Driscoll, Gibson, Edwards

Given their different eras I think it is pretty fruitless to compare

geoff998rugby wrote:I have been watching rugby since the 1960's

For me there have been 3 stand out backs in the Northern Hemisphere - O'Driscoll, Gibson, Edwards

Given their different eras I think it is pretty fruitless to compare

You are right in that respect. Very difficult to compare eras.

All I was saying is that one has the respect of the insatiable.... the other not really.