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E-mailIrish rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll ready for Grand Slam defense
Brian O’Driscoll enjoyed winning Ireland’s first Grand Slam in 61 years last season so much that he wants to do it all over again.
The Irish captain has outlined his determination to lift the Grand Slam trophy again when Ireland’s rugby team say goodbye to Croke Park in the final game of the RBS Six Nations against Scotland at the end of March.
The clash of the Celts could be another Grand Slam decider a year after Ronan O’Gara’s drop goal heroics in Cardiff.
And a first ever defense of the slam would see Ireland complete the clean sweep on Dublin soil for the first time, as well having won it in Belfast and Wales previously.
“The aim for the year is to defend our title and improve our play,” declared Irish captain Brian O’Driscoll.
“We want to improve as a team and let our performances take care of the results. We have to raise our standards a level from last year. We know we gave the whole country a lift last season and it would be great to do that again.”
O’Driscoll handed back the Grand Slam trophy in London last week, then warned his RBS Six Nations opponents that he’s only put it in storage.
“It’s not about retaining it, it is about giving it back and trying to win it again,” declared O’Driscoll as he awaits his 100th Ireland cap in this campaign.
“You wouldn’t be really happy just with winning it last season. You are hoping you can do it again.
“You get selfish after attaining a goal. You get a taste for it. It doesn’t wane. If anything success heightens your ambition.”
Now entering his 11th championship season with Ireland, the 31-year-old O’Driscoll maintains his hunger is as acute as ever.
He is, however, entering unknown territory in his bid to keep hold of the winner’s medal that had eluded him until last season.
“You would have to ask someone who has managed to retain it what it feels like because it is new ground for me,” O’Driscoll told Star Sunday.
“I will just go with the flow. I won’t look at the test games any differently but I will enjoy them like the rest of this Irish squad.
“The great thing about the younger guys, and the older brigade have spoken about this, is that they don’t know the 10 years of disappointment so we shouldn’t burden them by talking about it.
“Let them go with the flow as well. They’ve got the winning mentality and they’re going in the right direction so what’s the point in saying how hard a battle it was before we eventually won it.”
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