Brian O’Driscoll had the run of the place for the last decade of his Ireland career.
From the 2003 World Cup on, O’Driscoll was afforded his own hotel room when Ireland were in camp or on away days. When it came to laundry, too, O’Driscoll and Ronan O’Gara got away with the worst of it.
According to Donncha O’Callaghan, both O’Driscoll and O’Gara used to walk their gear ‘down the Yellow Brick Road’ to kitman Rala O’Reilly’s room. The next day they’d find their gear all washed, pressed and scented while the rest of the boys made do.
O’Driscoll, then, avoided that staple of international rugby that was rooming with either teammates or club rivals and making do regardless.
During an interview with BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly, however, O’Driscoll could still distinctly recall his displeasure at rooming with some altogether uncouth prop forwards.
“I never liked a front-rower,” he told Ugo Monye. “They’re a different breed.”
Asked to name his worst roommate ever, the former Ireland and Leinster captain picked on an old Munster rival and international teammate. He said:
“I’ve slagged him before so I probably won’t get abused by him for a second time so maybe John Hayes.
“He’s his own man too. There was no telling him too but I liked that about his character. Probably a bit of a harsh call but I’ll go with Hayes.”
"I never liked a front-rower, they're a different breed"@BrianODriscoll names his worst ever room-mate…
🎙🏉https://t.co/mUGyiZmXDW pic.twitter.com/Kq5bmVUni5
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) April 7, 2017
‘The Bull’ certainly was his own man and, famously, in 2009 skipped the Grand Slam celebrations in Dublin to head back to his farm.
Hayes does not sound quite as bad as Keith Gleeson for any of the Leinster or Ireland lads that had to room with him. Kevin McLaughlin spoke about one awkward situation with ‘Gleeso’ in France. He said:
“He said me down before we went to bed and gave me a five-minute lecture on the rules. He was like, ‘We’ve to cover every light. Don’t move. Don’t squeak your bed. Don’t get up to go to the toilet during the night.’
“I was kind of looking at him going, ‘Really? Am I going to have to stay in this room?!’
Whether it was Leinster or Munster, you can’t keep everyone happy!
