This may be the last time we see Sean O’Brien playing in the 2015 World Cup.
We hope to God, and countless other religious icons, that it is not.
The Carlow man creased Pascal Papé with an early punch to the solar plexus. A ban is coming his way – do not doubt it.
What the jubilant Irish fans hope is that he may just miss the Argentina game. To get over the line win the World Cup, we need the Tullow Tank back.
O’Brien was brutal, beautiful poetry in motion today.
He harried, carried, pounded and pounced as Ireland saw off France, 24-9. He forced two turnovers and constantly had his team on the back-foot.
And the yards he made? Every single one was hard-fought and hard-earned.
He hoofed into blue shirts like a rhinoceros – tossing and spearing anyone that dared to stand in his way.
With Ireland shorn of leaders all over the park – Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony and Paul O’Connell – the openside wrung the game dry. There was no way in hell he was going to give this game up.
It is hard to put into words how huge a game O’Brien had. How inspiring he was to his teammates.
He started like a freight train. Ireland knew France would hit hard. O’Brien and O’Mahony – his partner in crime – hit harder.
He was every inch an enforcer out in the Millennium Stadium cauldron. When Sexton was late-hit out of the game, the two Irish flankers exacted pay-back.
Whenever Ireland found themselves under the cosh – and it was very tight at 14-9 in the second half – O’Brien stepped up. His steal on Matieu Bastareaud had the Irish-dominated crowd out of their seats [not like they needed much of an excuse].
When we needed a score it was Robbie Henshaw and Tommy Bowe going achingly close. France covered and mopped up. Ireland needed to wrest the momentum back so O’Brien stepped up.
He made two big carries – two metres gained here, four metres there – and you could see it lift his teammates.
The cold hard numbers say 7 tackles landed, 2 turnovers, 16 carries gaining 45 metres and two clean breaks.
The man-of-the-match award is going back to Carlow in O’Brien’s luggage.
Not yet. He hopes and we hope.
