Brian O"Driscoll set for rugby history this weekend

O’Driscoll’s decision to extend his career by another season at the behest of Ireland coach Joe Schmidt provided the opportunity to break the world record and the cards have fallen well with it happening in his beloved Dublin.

The reception he receives when he leads the side out will be one for the ages. Some of his younger team-mates, who viewed him as a hero growing up, may be tempted to join in.

“He was the first superstar of Irish rugby and always very exciting to watch. You wouldn’t even have to go looking for him. You would see him on the TV screen so often, because he was carrying so much ball, breaking lines,” said Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony.

“Not much has changed really. He used to run around guys, now he goes over the top of them.”

O’Driscoll may not be the same player who slid around defences a decade ago but pace is not everything. His reinvention of himself as a heavy-duty auxiliary flanker with the touch of a concert pianist has provided Ireland with a golden resource in his declining years.

It is not only O’Driscoll’s 15-year span as an Ireland player which is drawing to a close but also his midfield partnership with Gordon D’Arcy, his Leinster team-mate. They will pair up for the 55th time at the Aviva Stadium, extending their own world record.

Brian O"Driscoll set for rugby history this weekend