Ireland 46 - 7 Italy: O’Driscoll shines

Brian O'Driscoll carries his daughter Sadie after his last home appearance for Ireland. Picture: REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

Ireland 46 - 7 Italy

SCORERS: Ireland: Tries: Sexton 2, Trimble, Healy, Cronin, McFadden, McGrath. Cons: Sexton 2, Jackson 2. Pen: Sexton. Italy: Try: Sarto. Con: Orquera.

Referee: N Owens

Venue: Aviva Stadium

Attendance: 52,000

Iconic centre O’Driscoll will retire from international rugby after his 141st Test cap against France on Saturday. Ireland’s seven-try, 46-7 hammering of Italy leaves Joe Schmidt’s side in pole position to take the Six Nations title with victory in Paris.

O’Driscoll has set a new Test appearance world record, and will extend his record Six Nations caps tally to 65 to boot. The 35-year-old Leinster midfielder is Ireland’s leading try-scorer with 46, and tops the Six Nations all-time scoring charts with 26.

Despite 15 years at the top of the world game, though, O’Driscoll only has one Six Nations crown, the 2009 Grand Slam, in his locker. His stunning hat-trick dragged Ireland to their only win in Paris in 42 years, back in 2000.

Now his Leinster and Ireland team-mate Reddan believes the only way to do that track record justice is to pull off a rare victory on French soil.

“This win over Italy won’t mean much if we don’t back it up next week,” said Reddan. “We already spoke about that in the dressing-room after the game. It was a great occasion, but the players have to pay their respects in terms of delivering in Paris for him.

“It was right to have it: these moments can pass you by if you don’t emphasise them. Now we as players have to deliver, and give him a pat on the back in a different way, and produce a huge performance in France to give him a proper and well-deserved send-off.

“The temptations are there for people outside the group to go over the top on a polished performance, but there’s no way we’re seeing ourselves as favourites over there.”

Leinster prop Jack McGrath was just ten years old when O’Driscoll ran in that breathless Paris hat-trick. And the 24-year-old front-rower admitted he had never seen anything like the adulation of O’Driscoll’s great Dublin farewell against Italy on Saturday.

“I watched that hat-trick game at home on the TV,” said McGrath. “There’s a lot of hard work that went into becoming his team-mate. If you dwell on it too much it passes you by, but you have to step back and you have to enjoy the times as well.

“This is a time I’ll remember for the rest of my life, to be involved in it is brilliant, and it’s a pleasure to have been involved in a day like today. I don’t think there has ever been anything like this in Irish sport, so it’s definitely something to remember and something that will go down in history.”

In O’Driscoll’s final bow at home in an illustrious 15-year international career, world rugby’s most capped player was on the pitch for only 62 minutes but had a hand in three of Ireland’s four tries by then. After he left, Ireland poured in three more tries as Italy tired in having to make more than 200 tackles.

Bemused by all the attention and embarrassed to be named man of the match, O’Driscoll addressed the packed crowd and the meaning of the day finally got to him. “I feel really humbled by the reaction today,” he said, misty-eyed. “It seems a bit of a joke to get man of the match for 60 minutes.

“I’ve loved my time playing in this jersey and unfortunately it does have to come to an end, and I’m glad I’ve got to go out at home with a big win.”

It was a tribute to O’Driscoll that he produced his best game of the championship in an emotionally charged atmosphere that ramped up when he led the team out. For the hour he spent in the game, he was in the middle of all the main moments.

His no-look flick over his left shoulder sent fly-half Jonathan Sexton, on the loop around, scampering past the bewitched defence and to the line for the home side’s first try just six minutes in.

Coach Joe Schmidt called O’Driscoll a magician. The man himself said: “I take as much satisfaction in setting up tries as scoring them, I have to these days, I don’t tend to get too many myself anymore.”

Looking ahead to next weekend’s Six Nations finale in Paris, O’Driscoll said: “We go to France with huge positivity. We’re capable of doing great things and we have to start next week by trying to win a second championship with this unit of players.”

Ireland: R. Kearney; Trimble, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, D. Kearney; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Ross, Toner, O’Connell, Henderson, Henry, Heaslip. Subs: McFadden for O’Driscoll (61), Jackson for Sexton (63), McGrath for Healy (53), Cronin for Best (54), Moore for Ross (56), Ruddock for Henderson (53), Murphy for Henry (73).

Italy: McLean; Esposito, Campagnaro, Garcia, Sarto; Orquera, Tebaldi; De Marchi, Ghiraldini, Castrogiovanni, Geldenhuys, Bortolami, Furno, Derbyshire, Barbieri. Subs: Masi for Garcia (63), Allan for Orquera (63), Gori for Tebaldi (70), Rizzo for De Marchi (56), Giazzon for Ghiraldini (70), Cittadini for Castrogiovanni (7), Pavanello for Bortolami (63), Vosawai for Derbyshire (56).