BRIAN O’DRISCOLL’S USE of legal painkillers to manage injuries “almost became like habit” in the final years of his career.
Speaking on Off The Ball on Wednesday night, the former Ireland captain revealed that he regularly took medication as part of his pre-match routine to “give yourself a chance of playing your best game”.
An investigation by Rugby World magazine in 2017 shone a light on the use of legal painkillers by rugby players.
And O’Driscoll — who regularly took difene and co-codamol before games — says the drugs were readily accessible within team set-ups.
“I would have been part of teams where on the way to a game, a doctor would have walked down the bus on the way to the game and enquired as to who wanted what in advance of it,” he said.
For me, for the last couple of seasons anyway, part of my match prep would have been a difene and a couple of co-codamol.
“Just a painkiller, that if I was carrying something [an injury]… it almost became like habit where it gave me a fighting chance if I wasn’t feeling 100%, that it might have levelled it up, which was probably a lot of the time. That is the reality of it.
“I wouldn’t have been the only one doing that. It was usually the older players just to try to balance the equilibrium, almost, of feeling ok.
“I’m sure at times in my subconscious I would have taken it because it became part and parcel where maybe I could have done without it.
“If it’s perfectly legal and there’s no need for TUEs or any of that, give yourself a chance of playing your best game.”
Access to painkillers has tightened in recent years, O’Driscoll added.
“Within the Leinster and Irish set-up, at that time, they were accessible. You could get your hands on difene.
“I think you’ve got to fight your case a little bit more and prove the necessity of having them. Certainly drugs cabinets that might have been open once upon a time are inaccessible.
“That used to be for sleepers as well — diazepam to try and counteract what would happen with the caffeine because [players] couldn’t sleep.
“I’m not saying it was the culture but it happened.”
Murray Kinsella, Gavan Casey and Andy Dunne preview a huge weekend of Heineken Cup action and dissect the week’s big talking points.
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Decent first half from Ulster but totally blown away once the respective benches came on. UBB aren’t contenders – their defence is quite porous which will cost them later in the comp. Some good signs with ulster young players
@Michael Corkery: Thay don’t even blink tho, French teams of old (some new) would have given up at half time, they just know they’re going to get a cut, was full sure Ulster had that, great first half from a raft of lads, Timoney, Izzy, Doak. Next weekend going to be a good one tho. That Cooney injury from making him play on the wing is really roosting
@Thesaltyurchin: Ulster are a basket case and have been so for quite a while.
@Richard Ford: Yea but it’s all part of the drama, glorious rugby.
@Thesaltyurchin: Not much drama when a team gets battered AGAIN!!!
@Richard Ford: What do you even mean?
@Michael Corkery: Wasn’t overly impressed with Bordeaux, albeit it was always likely they had another gear. Ulster were well in there for an hour.
@Richard Ford: must you parrot that “basket case” tag – BOD was the first to use it and lost the Ulster fans with it. It’s insulting to all those connected with Ulster rugby.
It is such hard work being an ulster supporter. I try to get excited at the start of every season but it’s been two decades of ‘almost but not quite’ or total pish.
@Paul Wilson: from what I can see of the young players you have, I think ye’ll start being competitive from next season. This season will be a struggle though
@Michael Corkery: I don’t know how many more times I can convince myself. I feel like every 2-3 years I say to myself; this next batch of youngsters look brilliant – then they just don’t quite get there. Same with coaches, “this guy took Glasgow to the title with Townsend. This bloke won the U20s” We get the likes of Bowe, Trimble, Best, Ferris who can perform wonders at club and international level but we can’t put together a team to actually win anything. Even Benetton won the Rainbow cup! We are the eternal bridesmaids of the game. At least with the Dragons or Zebre you know where you are and you don’t need to pretend that you might win the league. Jesus Ulster have had more semi’s than a 4am strip club and with the same gratification – “look here’s the prize, no you can’t touch”.
@Paul Wilson: Ulster’s youngsters have looked poor for ages. It’s only now there are some decent prospects. Still, someone needs to tell DH that he should stay out of prop development.
We need to figure out how to properly fund ulster and Connacht to be competitive at this level. Ulster got blown away by UBBs bench
The ulster lads got tired in the second half. They need more rest. They are being flogged to death, poor chaps.
@JJB: Hilarious. The fact is that Ulster have shed a dozen internationals and not replaced them. Go figure.
@JJB: Come and say hi next Friday night.
@Justin Robinson: if they worked on a consistent 23 they actually might have some chance. But Henderson, Izzy, Heron, played so much rugby in November they needed to be rested for Bordeaux – it worked out very well tonight I thought. Poor lads- so tiring carrying water and sitting on their arses. All this rest, It will make Ulster great again. Meanwhile other team’s big players play the big games.
@JJB: Hope your Munster lads enjoyed their rest yesterday. Shame we won’t see you on Friday.
@Justin Robinson: childisn comment. I used your play matches up there in a different time- the pomposity of the Ulster rugby archetype was very overbearing- way too haughty for my liking. I will stay put next week rather than be reacquainted with the condescension. Indeed that haughtiness is so anochronistic. The only player with any value to Ireland today is the lad from Offaly – an irony in itself. The rest are peripheral and need more rest as they move towards retirement.
@JJB: That’s a shame. You’d be very welcome. Not much pomposity where I stand. Izzy is English but Ireland are going to need to make a bigger number 6 shirt.
@Justin Robinson: A lot of inaccuracies in that last post but there you go …. Keep resting them superstars up there! Loads of cotton wool available if needed so they stay intact. Poor lads …. Such a tough life.
@JJB: Could be said that ‘pomposity’ makes a change from ‘arrogance’ from a certain other province. Your mention of overbearing, condescension and haughtiness makes me think you belong to a Bertie Wooster novel and you’ve never set foot in a rugby club anywhere north of Dundalk.
@Keno: I am not well read like yourself. Never heard of B Wooster- the plebian that I am – so sorry. Regretfully I saw more matches beyond Dundalk that I care to remember – no fond memories to be honest in the round.
Was the referee Italian?
@Brian Kernahan: yes, and a good Referee.