Brian O'Driscoll didn't hesitate naming the best centre of all-time

The former Ireland and British & Irish Lions captain wasn’t just a world-class centre – he was 

the centre of his generation.

A three-time Lion, Six Nations Grand Slam winner, European champion and the man who redefined what a modern No.13 could be, O’Driscoll blended footwork, defensive intelligence and ruthless finishing like few players before or since.

If you played centre between 1999 and 2014, chances are you were judged against BOD.

So when O’Driscoll names the toughest midfield opponents he faced during his stellar career, it’s worth sitting up and listening.

Drawing from several Q&As over the years, including one with the Six Nations, here are the centres who gave Ireland’s greatest-ever back the hardest days at the office.

Early in his career, Ma’a Nonu was often pigeonholed. Braided hair, eyeliner, explosive carries – a crash-ball merchant with frightening power but limited subtlety.

That narrative didn’t last long.

As the years went on, Nonu reinvented himself into one of the most complete centres the game has ever seen.

He added a slick passing game, intelligent kicking options and an offloading ability that turned broken-field moments into All Blacks tries. Defenders were left guessing: brace for impact or drift off and risk being cut open.

A quirky fact? Nonu won two World Cups and signed off his international career by scoring one of the most iconic tries in rugby history – bulldozing his way through Australia in the 2015 final. Not bad for a player once labelled one-dimensional.

Brian O’Driscoll said:
“Same height as me [5ft 11] and still 16-stone. Probably the most complete centre in the modern game.”

If Nonu was the battering ram, Conrad Smith was the chess grandmaster.

Nicknamed “The Snake” because of his ability to slither through the tiniest gaps, Smith made a habit of ghosting past defenders without ever seeming to accelerate. His timing, angles and understanding of space were elite, and his partnership with Nonu became one of the greatest midfield combinations in rugby history.

Off the pitch, Smith might be the most unlikely All Blacks legend of the professional era. He holds a law degree, once took time away from Test rugby to work in a legal firm, and consistently out-thought opponents who were bigger, faster and louder.

He retired with two World Cup winner’s medals, an unbeaten record in rugby’s biggest tournament, and a reputation as the quiet glue that held the All Blacks midfield together for over a decade.

Brian O’Driscoll said:
“I thought Conrad Smith was always one of the really difficult ones. He was nicknamed ‘Snake’ I think because of his hips and it doesn’t look like he’s going that fast but jeez, he can travel.”

Top of O’Driscoll’s list is a man who tormented defensive lines across Europe: Yannick Jauzion.

At 6ft 4in and close to 17 stone, Jauzion looked more like a lock than a centre – yet he possessed hands and vision that most fly-halves would envy. His offloading game was devastating, regularly keeping France alive in broken play and allowing runners to flood through holes defenders thought they had covered.

He was the cornerstone of Toulouse’s golden era, reaching three consecutive Heineken Cup finals between 2003 and 2005 and lifting the trophy twice.

His performance in the 2005 final against Stade Français was so commanding that he was named Man of the Match on European rugby’s biggest stage.

A quirky detail? Despite his influence and reputation, Jauzion spent his entire professional career at Toulouse, becoming a one-club icon in an era increasingly defined by transfers and big contracts.

Brian O’Driscoll said:
“Jauzion was just incredible and was so hard to stop, with his offloading ability. France built so much off and around him. 6-foot-4 and probably 17-stone.”

Three minutes on the clock, 10 players to guess.

These rugby legends have left their mark on the competition with their exceptional skills and precision on the field. Do you think you have what it takes to recall the leading point-scorers in Six Nations history?

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