By Peter O'Dwyer
Brian O'Driscoll may have made his first tentative foray into the world of coaching, thanks in no small part to an enthusiastic fan’s kicking expertise.
O'Driscoll this morning tweeted a picture of some illustrated kicking advice he received in the post.
Perhaps unaware that the former Irish captain had called an end to his international career, the sender hopefully asked that O'Driscoll pass his research on to Ireland coach Joe Schmidt.
In essence, the advice suggested that a right-footed kicker should aim to miss when taking a conversion from the right-hand side of the pitch.
Hey Joe @paddyjackson10 here's an interesting tip sheet I got in a letter in the post today. pic.twitter.com/6bHXCUyCtc
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) April 10, 2014
“I consciously aimed to miss as I found the first few went No.1 route,” explained the writer. “It may not work for everyone. The stronger the breeze I had to miss further.
O'Driscoll poked fun at the sender getting, presumably, Ulster outhalf Paddy Jackson’s name wrong – referring to him as Joe Jackson.
Clearly enjoying himself, the Leinster centre went on to suggest former teammate and current Racing Metro coach Ronan O'Gara was behind the friendly advice!
Ah just saw the return address on the envelope. I'll pass on your thoughts @RonanOGara10 pic.twitter.com/9Z5af8eCKW
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) April 10, 2014
Of course, the writer could very well be a young fan, in which case the advice is pretty spot on. Given that a first rugby ball was purchased in the name of experimentation, we’re glad to see it getting the recognition it deserves.