Brian O’Driscoll’s Dream XV Of Opponents And Teammates Is Basically Unbeatable

Tuesday, 22 October 2024 at 17:14

bySteven Smith

Of all the rugby legends to have graced the pitch, few command as much universal respect as Ireland’s iconic centre, Brian O'Driscoll.

During his 15-year international career from 1999 to 2014, O’Driscoll faced the best the world had to offer, racking up an impressive 133 caps for Ireland, with an additional eight for the British & Irish Lions.

Since hanging up his boots, O'Driscoll has seamlessly transitioned into punditry, where he's become one of the most engaging on-screen voices in rugby today.

But in a reflective moment, the Irish great shared his ultimate Dream XV – and, surprisingly, four England players made the list.

BRIAN O'DRISCOLL DREAM XV:

BACK-THREE:

15. Jason Robinson (England)
14. Tommy Bowe (Ireland)
11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)

O'Driscoll on Robinson: “To get to see in close quarters what he was capable of. You see so much on a Saturday, but when you’re training and playing and watching players of that calibre leading up to a Saturday. You see some exceptional stuff that cameras don’t always catch.

“Jason, I knew so little of him in 2001 other than his rugby league talent. But to have a full appreciation of what his footwork was like, you need to defend against it, and it was horrible at times in training.

“I would’ve analysed him a lot as I played against him, he was equally comfortable on either foot, it made no difference to him. There was no preference on ball carry, you just could not work him out. He honed the ability to be unpredictable as well.

“He might’ve been a small guy, but he packed a serious punch too.”

O'Driscoll on Lomu: "No-one transcended the sport of rugby union quite like him; he was a force of nature with a blend of pace, power and size that has never before been seen, certainly in a winger. He had all the qualities you would aspire to in a hero."

CENTRES:

13. Conrad Smith (New Zealand)
12. Yannick Jauzion (France)

O'Driscoll on Smith: “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."

O'Driscoll on Jauzion: "He 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."

HALFBACKS:

10. Jonny Wilkinson (England)
9. Peter Stringer (Ireland)

O'Driscoll on Wilkinson: “Even to just get a snapshot of what his mind works like now and how he thinks about things is pretty eye-opening as to what sort of detail he went into as a player,”

“He’s an out-and-out perfectionist, he just needs that 10 out of 10. I don’t think you ever achieve it and I think he beats himself up about it, but he got pretty close to 10 a lot of times.”

FRONT-ROW:

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Keith Wood (Ireland)
3. Carl Hayman (New Zealand)

SECOND-ROW:

4. Paul O'Connell (Ireland)
5. Martin Johnson (England)

O'Driscoll on O'Connell: "One of the greatest leaders & players of them all. Inspirational,"

BACK-ROW:

6. Richard Hill (England)
7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
8. Lawrence Dallaglio (England)

O'Driscoll on Hill: "The England No.6 that won the World Cup in 2003. He was a brilliant teammate but he made that team tick, he was the unsung hero in that world cup win. He was hard! I always liked playing with guys that were nails in the team, that really stood up and never took a backwards step."