Trimble with big boots to fill
Ireland centre Andrew Trimble has been asked to fill the midfield void left by one of the biggest names in world rugby but the Ulster rookie remains undaunted by the challenge.
Trimble, a devout Christian and Theology student, will make his Test debut against Australia on Saturday in the only change to the team crushed 45-7 by New Zealand’s rampaging second string last weekend.
The powerful 21-year-old takes the number 13 jersey which would have been filled by Brian O’Driscoll had the Lions skipper not been forced to miss Ireland’s autumn schedule in order to complete his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery.
O’Driscoll is an impossible act to follow but Trimble, who revealed he has never spoken to Ireland’s talismanic leader, is keen to follow in his footsteps by providing Ireland with a dynamic cutting edge in midfield.
“Brian O’Driscoll is everyone’s hero, especially for those younger centres coming through the Ireland set-up,” he said.
“There’s a lot I can learn from all the senior guys around me in the Ireland camp. I haven’t had the chance to have a chat with Brian but I’m looking forward to doing that.
“I enjoy getting the ball in hand. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to move the ball a bit and express ourselves against Australia.
“That’s what we’re looking to do and that would play to my strengths, so I’m excited at the prospect of playing on Saturday.”
Trimble’s elevation to the Test side has had a knock-on effect in the backline with Gordon D’Arcy switching to inside centre, Shane Horgan moving to the right wing, Tommy Bowe to the left and Anthony Horgan dropping out of the squad altogether.
It will be interesting to see how Trimble and D’Arcy perform as a partnership given they are both natural 13s, but the newcomer is confident it will be a productive combination.
“I haven’t played alongside Gordon yet but I’m loving every minute of it in training. It’s a great experience to have someone like him inside you,” he said.
“We have an awful lot of quality in the backline. Outside centre is my preferred position and perhaps where I play my best rugby. It’s a comfortable spot for me to start.”
Trimble, a strong runner with a useful turn of speed, failed to win a place in Ulster’s senior side last season but has made the breakthrough this term and has not disappointed.
He was was in magnificent form against French heavyweights Biarritz in the Heineken Cup last month and that display helped convince Ireland boss Eddie O’Sullivan he was ready to be capped.
Running out at Lansdowne Road will mark the latest stage of Trimble’s meteoric rise up the ranks but the ambitious Ireland Under-21 international has already set his sights on the next target.
“This season has been great. Some of the goals I set myself at the start of the season I’ve achieved earlier than anticipated,” he said.
“It’s taken me by surprise – I didn’t expect to get a cap against Australia having just made my debut for Ulster a couple of months ago. But I’m grateful for the opportunity and I want to make the most of it.
“My goals are changing. First I wanted to get into the Ulster team, then get moved into my preferred position in the centre, hold down a place there and then get involved in the Ireland squad.
“Now I have to keep pushing myself further and concentrate on being as good as I can be.”
