Mick O'Driscoll is 23 next month. It appears a tad melodramatic or premature to suggest that his career as a professional rugby player has reached a watershed of sorts: progress or a certain degree of stagnation. These are his words, his thoughts, the pressure to develop comes from within.

The Cork Constitution and Munster forward is a pragmatist. The depth of quality in young second rows that plough their trade in Ireland could be unnerving for all but the most determined. Bob Casey, Leo Cullen, Paul O'Connell, Donnacha O'Callaghan, Aidan Kearney, Niall Breslin, Matt McCullough are all players of great potential.

O'Driscoll has to guarantee his own elbow room by deed. He suggests simply: "This is a big year for me. I have to be able to compete if I want to go places." John Langford's decision to return to Australia during the summer at the end of two glorious seasons with Munster would have been viewed with regret within the provincial squad .... to a degree.

Personable, competitive and a second row of tremendous quality who had served the province extremely well, Langford's absence would leave a void; there would be no shortage of aspirants, O'Driscoll included, willing to fill the vacuum.

"Being selfish, it was a good thing for me. Obviously there was going to be competition in the form of Donnacha and Paul but there would only be three of us going for one place. Gallimh (Mick Galwey) has the other second-row spot."

When Langford changed his mind and informed coach Declan Kidney and Munster that he was returning for another year, the young tyros would have silently cursed. Nothing personal, just the recognition that the ante for a place alongside Galwey had been upped considerably. "Yeh, I remember thinking, now suddenly there's four.

"It is a tough thing with which to deal. There was two ways I could have looked at it; put my head down and sulked or accept that the competition had increased and worked harder. I think I have chosen the second road. I was hopeful that I would get a run at some stage this season and that's all I can ask. It's up to me after that.

"The last two years have been very frustrating sitting on the bench and being limited to the odd game when injuries arose. But if you look at what we achieved then you couldn't argue. You do have to be patient, bide your time and then seize the opportunity."

O'Driscoll has been an achiever from his fledgling days in Presentation College Brothers, Cork. He made the senior team bench while an under-16 and it was that season that he first came under the tutelage of Declan Kidney. The latter left the following year but O'Driscoll won his Senior Cup medal in 1996 and a place on the Munster Schools team.

He went to UCC where he studied accountancy, played for the Irish Universities in his first year, and helped bring the European Students Championship back to the Mardyke, one of his personal highlights to date. Three years later he had a degree and went back to complete a post-graduate course in food marketing.

On the pitch his playing career was sustained by the Ireland under-19s and two years on the under-21 team that included the SANZAR tournament in Argentina. He also broke into the Munster team during that period, moving to Cork Constitution. His early influences were brother John - a prop on Constitution's first team - Donal Lenihan and Moss Keane.

O'Driscoll concedes that Kidney has been a central influence in his development. "He never puts too much pressure on you but he will always put enough to get you to maximise their ability. He has the knack of getting the best out of the players with whom he deals. What that knack is, I do not know. If you are ambitious and want to go places then he is a good guy to have around."

Tomorrow Munster announce the team to face Castres at the weekend. O'Driscoll just hopes for the opportunity.