O'Driscoll: Time to get tough
Brian O’Driscoll admits title-chasing Ireland need to hone their killer instincts as they enter the business end of the Six Nations.
Ireland have scored nine tries so far in the championship, a figure that would have been considerably higher had their vaunted back-line matched expectations.
The 31-5 victory over Wales was the biggest missed opportunity, with Scott Johnson’s beleaguered and traumatised side seemingly ripe to be routed in an even more convincing fashion.
But Ireland clearly lacked the ruthless streak needed, and captain O’Driscoll believes maintaining composure at crucial times will solve the problem.
“We could have scored a few more tries against Wales, but maybe we are lacking the killer instinct we have shown in the past,” he said.
“It’s a case of not panicking and just relaxing. If we have an overlap then we must not press the issue.
“The longer it takes to score, the more tense players tend to get. We need to let the ball do the work and trust in our skill levels.”
Ireland are just one match away from setting up a title decider against England at Twickenham on March 18. But Scotland, who are also in the frame, will be no pushover.
Frank Hadden’s side have proved a revelation, and Saturday’s clash promises to be a fitting Six Nations send-off for Lansdowne Road, which is scheduled to be redeveloped next year.
The fact that Ireland still have a good chance of winning the tournament is remarkable given they have dazzled for just one quarter, the final 20 minutes in Paris, and O’Driscoll is sure there is more to come.
“We still have some way to go to where we feel our potential lies,” he said.
“Some parts of the Welsh game were excellent, but there were also parts we have to improve on.
"We have another gear to kick into.
“We have gone so well at training and it is frustrating the fact we can’t put that into a game. But we have to have a little patience.
“The sides we have played against have been destructive, although we did get it together against France and I thought we were very good against Wales.
“We were very good at implementing our game plan. It’s coming a bit with each game and I hope we can take it on another step on Saturday.”
Ireland’s greatest problem has been slow starts, conceding early leads in all three matches to date, with the huge deficit against France proving too great to overcome.
“It’s not easy playing catch-up rugby. There is no reason why we should not get off at the B of the bang like other teams we have played against,” he said.
“If we can start well it will give us a proper performance. We certainly don’t want to give quality teams a five, six, or 10-point lead.”
