Brian O'Driscoll's Diary: Reflections on the victory over England in a week that included plenty of horseplay
Cheltenham. It's a special three days for punters, especially the occasional ones. You don't have to know a huge amount, which suits me perfectly. I have been trying to get tips from Rog (Ronan O'Gara) and the boys, with limited success. The ones he's invested in I haven't and vice versa. He's acquitted himself reasonably well.
It's fair to say that the Easterbys have never been as popular as this week. The family connections don't have any horses running in Cheltenham, so our conversations were brief after we found out that they didn't have any cast iron certainties to pass on.
It's real in-the-zone stuff with Cheltenham.
There were plenty of consultations among the squad's racing fraternity over the three days. Mind you, I have my suspicions that Guy and Simon may have been pleading ignorance and probably invested a few quid.
Cheltenham's been a godsend this week as we settle back into hotel life. Any distraction is most welcome.
I enjoyed modest success with a 25 to 1 winner, Rule Supreme, on the second day, chosen with the aid of a pin and a blindfold. There's nothing like random good fortune to bring a smile, although there was little dignity attached to shrieking at the television, trying to urge the horse past the post.
There will, of course, be no elaboration on any losing dockets.
TROPHY, WHAT TROPHY?
There is still a huge feel-good factor within the squad in the wake of the victory over England. Clive (Woodward) was very humble and gracious in defeat. He spoke well in what would have been a difficult and unfamiliar situation for him.
The dressing-room was a happy place, with the backs doing most of the celebrating as the forwards seemed a little tired.
From a personal perspective, it wasn't my best game in green. I didn't play as well as I hoped, which took a bit of gloss off it, but only the top coat. You tend to reflect on your own display, albeit briefly, but the reality is that the team matters most.
Everyone wants to play well, especially on an occasion like that, but you'd sacrifice any personal satisfaction if the team wins. It's fairly hollow when you play well and the team loses. With big victories like that you do want to look back and cherish good memories.
Having said that, Simon Geoghegan's try from 1994 at Twickenham was replayed quite a few times in the build-up to the England game, so if the same is the case with Girv's (Girvan Dempsey), there'll be a small bit of satisfaction from my perspective on having a hand, or two as was the case, in it.
In all the excitement the Millennium trophy was overlooked, or to be more precise it wasn't presented. It would have been nice to have gone up and collected a trophy to mark a victory over England, a moment to savour. Mind you, there were great pictures in the dressing-room; Darce (Gordon D'Arcy) with the champagne, Maggsie (Kevin Maggs) pretending he had champagne but having to make do with Coca Cola.
In reference to the aforementioned Bath centre, I have never seen anyone so pumped up coming onto a pitch as when he was called into action. He caused me to do a double take with his thousand-yard stare. I was glad he was wearing a green jersey.
HANDBAGS AND GLADRAGS
Myself and Lawrence (Dallaglio) enjoyed a full and frank exchange of views during the game. At one stage, I was on my feet trying to pinch a ball and the ref penalised me, even though I'm convinced what I did was legal.
Anyway, the ruck broke up and Lawrence was holding me down and dragging me by the neck as Matt Dawson took a quick tap.
In the video, you can see me trotting back into the picture. Mike Ford (Ireland's defensive coach) gave out to me for taking so long to get back into the defensive line, not aware that I was indulging in a little Greco-Roman wrestling with a 17-stone forward, and not of my volition.
That started it off. Another time there was a ruck under the posts and he threw a few slaps and drew a few in response. You can't stand off in those circumstances. In fairness, I haven't known him to be like that before, and at the post-match reception it was laughed off over a few beers. He claimed that I was being a bit lippy, while I simply pointed out that I was responding to his overtures.
It took so long to get back to the hotel. We had to rush up to get changed, get back on the bus, arrive at the reception, have a 10-minute drinks gathering and then head straight into the formal dinner. We got very little chance to talk to the English players, as the teams weren't mixed at the tables.
We'd a good old night, even though the squad broke up a bit because it's hard for everyone to get into the same place. I just looked for somewhere quiet where I'd be able to sit down and chill out with some friends.
It was nice to have my folks and my two sisters there for what proved a special occasion. I had a drink or three, which I really appreciated the next morning when we had to get up early.
Since the game, I have received some mail from Irish people in England who were looking forward to going into work on the Monday morning.
Maggsie, not one to miss an opportunity, went into training with Bath on the Monday and informed the English boys that while he'd love to stay he couldn't, as he was returning to Dublin for an open top bus parade with the Webb Ellis trophy.
The television cameras that greeted the team's arrival at Dublin airport on the Sunday morning perhaps drove home the full enormity of what we achieved.
There was a spring in our step as we reported back for training on the Tuesday.
MANCHESTER BLUES
It coincided with the return to the camp of Mike McGurn, who the players hold in high regard. It was great to have him back. I was delighted because of the one-on-one training I did with him on the Friday. I decided I needed a speed/agility session and I knew he'd come up with some great drills.
I wanted to incorporate a bit of ball-handling, just the areas that I need to sharpen up on.
One thing that struck me on reflection was that in the week I really wanted a game, we didn't have one. For once it was annoying that we had a two-week break in those circumstances, as when you underperform you want to get back on the pitch at the earliest possible opportunity.
It wasn't all plain sailing that weekend. A flat tyre en route home from the airport meant a 45-minute wait for the tow truck, time I filled in posing for pictures and signing autographs on the Palmerstown Road.
On the Tuesday, there was only a team meeting, with weights in the afternoon.
On Wednesday and Thursday of last week we took to the pitch once again. On Friday it was off to a charity fashion show in the company of Darce. It was a quiet weekend, choc-full of my favourite pastime, sleeping.
I did wake long enough to discover the horror of United losing 4-1 in the Manchester derby. Fortunately, my housemate, a Liverpool fan, wasn't feeling too chipper himself as the Anfield outfit crashed and burned against Southampton.
Michael Owen's penalty miss sparked a conversation with Guy (Easterby). He informed me that former Southampton and England star Matt Le Tissier scored 46 out of 47 penalties in competitive games and that he, Guy, saw the one missed penalty.
Gordon Banks-esque was how he described the save. It's a remarkable record given the fact that you'd expect to scuff one or two along the way.
Darce and myself were back in action at the Leinster Schools Cup final last Sunday. We were the poor man's half-time entertainment. We didn't bet on the outcome. In fairness, I only ever bet with Denis Hickie, and this year was the first in a few that I took the money from him.
Monday brought a trip to the cinema and a chance to see Starsky and Hutch, which I really enjoyed.
The team announcement on Tuesday heralded the return of Geordan Murphy. T-Bone (Tyrone Howe), whose place he took, has a great attitude and the manner in which he took being left out showed the measure of him as a person. He can console himself that hisplace has gone to one of the best wingers/full backs in the world.
All thoughts are now firmly on the game today, with the focus on the performance. If we win only by a small margin, so be it. It's down to how we play. Winning is what matters, and to achieve that the performance must be right.
In an interview with John O'Sullivan
