Rugby – Six Nations:Brian O'Driscoll believes the strength of Ireland's midfield could be the key to success in this year's Six Nations Championship as Declan Kidney's men bid for back-to-back Grand Slams.
Ireland will get this year’s championship under way when they take on Italy at Croke Park tomorrow (2.30pm) – a game the home side are expected to win but must be wary of a physical Azzurri side.
O’Driscoll will team up with his Leinster team-mate Gordon D’Arcy, with Ulster’s Paddy Wallace named as cover on the bench.
Wallace started three of last season’s Six Nations encounters but has only recently returned from an ankle injury, while D’Arcy has found form of old during the Heineken Cup with Leinster.
“I’m pleased that Gordon is back. It took him a while to get back from that broken arm - he was out for a year,” said O’Driscoll, looking at the strength and depth at Kidney’s disposal.
“It’s great that he’s (D’Arcy) hitting form and it’s good to have Paddy playing well also.
“There’s so much competition in the team - it means you always get the best out of one another and ensure complacency doesn’t creep in.
“You just can’t afford to think that the jersey is yours for a full campaign.
“But Gordon has been doing extremely well and is doing what he’s good at.
“One thing that I took on myself last year is to get back to what you’re good at and concentrate on your strengths.
“He’s done that and it’s working for him.”
Teams:
Ireland:R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster); R O'Gara (Munster), T O'Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster); L Cullen (Leinster), P O'Connell (Munster), K McLaughlin (Leinster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements:R Best (Ulster), T Court (Ulster), D Ryan (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), E Reddan (Leinster), P Wallace (Ulster), K Earls (Munster).
Italy:L McLean (Benetton Treviso); K Robertson (Viadana), G Canale (Clermont-Aubergne), G Garcia (Benetton Treviso), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais); C Gower (Bayonne), T Tebaldi (Gran Parma); S Perugini (Bayonne), L Ghiraldini (Benetton Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers), C Del Fava (Viadana), Q Geldenhuys (Viadana), J Sole (Viadana), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), A Zanni (Benetton Treviso)
Replacements: F Ongaro (Saracens), M Aguero (Saracens), M Bortolami (Gloucester), P Derbyshire (Petrarca Padova), S Picone (Treviso), R Bocchino (Rovigo), A Masi (Racing Metro Paris)