It’s 25 years since a young Irish centre felled France with a sensational hat-trick, and Les Bleus are more formidable now than they were then - but so are Ireland
Brian O'Driscoll says 'it's challenging enough to score a hat-trick against France', as he did in 2000. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inphoknows the world has kicked on. Still, current events make this an ideal moment to hark back to one of the sweeter moment’s of his career, what with
“Someone like Dan Sheehan will get a hat-trick sometime soon,” he says. “I don’t know the stats but it’s a challenging enough thing to do, so am I surprised ? Not massively, because defences are hugely on top.”Jack Conan and five of the best other unexpected stars of an enthralling Six NationsO’Driscoll grabbed another hat-trick against Scotland in 2002, and Craig Gilroy and CJ Stander scored Six Nations hat-tricks against Italy in 2017.
“But we are a great side too,” he says lest his exuberant listing of the French qualities veil his belief in an Irish side that has proven over the years that it can thrive in big championship moments. That mindset again. “You’ve got Aldegheri, Marchand and Baille to come off the bench. There’s huge size there. So, first match that and then how do you control le petit général at nine? He’s a joy to watch. It feels like he’s ahead of the game.
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