SEAN O’BRIEN DOESN’T mess around. In, out and a ‘cheers lads’. He means business this weekend and there’s not much more to be said.
The Leinster flanker’s inclusion in Joe Schmidt’s starting XV for Saturday’s Six Nations opener in Edinburgh was one of the main talking points at the team base in Carton House this afternoon.
As for the man himself? He’ll do his talking on the Murrayfield pitch, thanks very much.
When asked if he feels for Josh van der Flier — who was man of the match against Australia in Ireland’s last outing — O’Brien was typically forthright.
“What way would you feel?” he replied.
The opening game of Ireland’s campaign will be O’Brien’s first since the start of January when he featured for Leinster during their Pro12 rout of Zebre at the RDS.
He’s managed to shake off a calf problem since and prove his fitness to Joe Schmidt and the Irish management in training this week.
Given his lack of game time, it might be seen as a risk to throw him in from the start and van der Flier, who has been outstanding again this season, has every right to feel a little aggrieved.
“If the shoe was on the other foot I’d be a bit peeved,” O’Brien admitted.
“But that’s the way it goes, that’s life. Josh is an ultimate professional and he’s a serious, serious player. He knows what the craic is and when he gets his opportunity to come on, he’ll shine.
“That’s why I have to make sure I do the best job I can in the jersey this weekend.”
O’Brien doesn’t do bullshit. He’s been in the game long enough to appreciate these things ebb and flow and he’s got that number jersey back this weekend. He’s determined to seize the opportunity.
“There was always something [injuries] going on. I probably played more minutes in the last few months than I had in the previous few seasons but I had a bit of time to get it right and thankfully that’s the way it is. Really looking forward to the weekend and the opportunity.
“The competition is massive. In every international set up you have that and we have it more so than others in the last while so there’s a lot of heat there to be performing in training and on match day. I have to mind the jersey for this weekend and make sure I do it justice because I know there’s a queue of lads that are coming behind me wanting it.
“I’m feeling very fresh, had two good prep weeks for this week and everything is good and I’m raring to to. I should be leaping around the place at the weekend.”
And that can only be a good thing for Ireland. Regardless of form and fitness, O’Brien remains one of the best in the business and if the 29-year-old is on song, there are few better around.
At the end of the day, Schmidt was probably swayed by the experience factor too. O’Brien has played 20 Six Nations games, three of which have been at Murrayfield and he is under no illusions of the size of the task ahead.
“It’s another Test match for us, it’s obviously the start of another Championship,” he added.
“If you look at all the sides we’re going to be facing, they’ve all improved a lot over the last year so it’s going to be a tough Championship. You have to take it one game at a time because the minute you start looking past the first game you’re in big trouble. We’re fully focused on Scotland and Scotland only and on our game too.
“It’s certainly not going to be a cake walk and we’d be deluded to think it’s going to be that way but once we look after our own shop things should fall into place for us.
“The competition is so tough and you get to test yourself week in, week out against the best. It’s a special competition and one we’re all very excited about and where we all want to be at international level. I still think it’s going to be one of our toughest games.”
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