BRIAN O’DRISCOLL will bid an emotional farewell to Irish rugby supporters when he plays his last ever home international against Italy in Dublin on Saturday.
The Leinster and Ireland centre will become the world’s most capped international when he enters the Aviva to play his 140th cap and final home Test as Ireland resume their chase for the Six Nations title.
“We’re not winning the Grand Slam this year, but there’s a championship to be won and it would be lovely to be able to be a two-time winner,” said O’Driscoll.
“One title is not a lot to shout about, is it? Because of the calibre of players and the amount of seconds that we had and the next chance you have to do it is the time to do it.”
Speaking about the emotion attached to Saturday’s fixture and the prospect of winning his 140th cap, he said: “Before the game it won’t affect me at all. I won’t play out the game in my head. You just react the way it is but I’d imagine there would be some sort of emotion for sure when it is over.
“I didn’t think anyone was ever going to get near 139. I certainly didn’t think I was going to get there. I thought at about 105 or 106, there was no way. I was obviously feeling it back then.”
In the corresponding fixture last year Ireland were beaten 22-15 in Rome and despite the hype surrounding his personal milestone, O’Driscoll is mindful of that result.
“They are capable of beating anyone in the championship, and England are the only team they haven’t beaten in the Six Nations,” he said.
“So, we’re absolutely aware that they’re a team very much on the up. We’ll have our work cut out to contain them and beat them.
“You have to think about the processes and about being clinical in finishing our opportunities.
“And if that means that the Italian team we face has a brilliant day, then that means getting across the line.
“We’ve got too much respect for them. And in last year’s result they won the game and deserved the win.”
Referring to areas in need of improvement following defeat to England, he said: “Definitely our defence, and our one-on-one tackling, needs to be more accurate.
“Our tackle completion needs to be over 90 per cent. When it slips below that it gets hard to win Test matches.”
Following Ireland’s draw at home with France in last year’s tournament, O’Driscoll admitted that he believed he’d played his last international on home soil. “I kinda thought in my head that that was going to be it and then a few weeks playing with Leinster, I just felt I had too much in me to cut it there.”
The centre said he expects to miss the camaraderie and the feeling of winning as part of a collective as well playing in front of packed arenas which he described as “irreplaceable”.
Meanwhile, Peter O’Mahony said Brian O’Driscoll’s farewell will not serve as a distraction to Ireland.
“It is obviously a big occasion for him and it would be great for him to finish his last Test in Ireland on a winning side but the rest of us now need to be a bit selfish — and him too.
“There is a job to be done at the weekend and he is more professional than anyone who has put on an Irish jersey so I don’t think there is an issue there.”
Ireland v Italy, Saturday 2.30pm, Aviva Stadium
