Brian O’Driscoll reveals Joe Schmidt’s hilariously blunt reaction to telling him of retirement plans
JOE SCHMIDT’S reaction to hearing of Brian O’Driscoll’s intention to retire in 2014 was amusingly nonplussed.
The Ireland icon recounted how he got the feeling that had he not jumped, Schmidt wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to push him.
While appearing on Off the Ball he was asked about when he knew it was time to call it a day in the context of Man United star Casemiro’s well-documented struggles this season.
The spotlight on the 32-year-old was ratcheted up on Monday night following his horror show display versus Crystal Palace.
Such was his sluggishness that Sky pundit Jamie Carragher urged him to move to a lower level as he pitched either the MLS or the Saudi league as a more apt home for him at this point.
Having noticed his own impact on matches continually erode over previous seasons, O’Driscoll knew in 2013 that he would only be able to summon one final season before needing to hang up his boots.
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The 133-times capped hero remarked that while he was still capable of delivering ‘moments’ of top quality, he’d known for a long time previously that the days of him controlling a game were already gone.
His famously ruthless coach at provincial and then international level knew it too.
O’Driscoll recalled: “It was very important for me at the end to be able to call it.
“I think I was pushing the boundaries of that. Joe Schmidt wouldn’t have had any sentiment for the following year.
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“He wouldn’t have picked you on reputation. Like, he wasn’t in a mad hurry to stop me from retiring!
“I was like ‘I’m going to retire’ and he was just like ‘…alright mate.’
“It was a bit like ‘Is that it?’ End of conversation anyway.
“And that I announced it in September.
“Maybe I reinforced the thought in his head of ‘God, he’s dead right. There’s no way I would’ve been picking him next year!'”