A philosophical Brian O’Driscoll said players of his size will have to think their way a round the pitch in future as the physicality in the game grows year by year.
The Ireland centre added that bangs to the head such as the latest one suffered by Ulster centre Luke Marshall, for Ulster against the Dragons on Friday, that has sidelined him for an indefinite period are now an unavoidable part of the modern game.
Partnership
O'Driscoll, who has sustained a successful centre partnership with Gordon D'Arcy for over a decade, has defied the modern fashion for giant centres. D'Arcy, similarly, is not considered a big player.
“The game is getting more physical and becoming more power-oriented,” O’Driscoll concedes. “Maybe there is not as much opportunity for guys of my size or Darce’s size.
“At the same time, I would like to think there is always going to be a place for good thinkers in the game. They will be able to adapt to situations when the game modifies slightly, which some of us have had to do.
“The game will be vastly different in 10 years again. How much it will change is hard to know, but it will and we will look back on old footage of this weekend and think ‘God, they had it easy back in 2014’.”
O'Driscoll, who received a text of congratulations from former Australian scrumhalf George Cregan, whose 139- cap world record he looks set to break against Italy (132 for Ireland (83 as captain), and eight for the Lions) added that Marshall's predicament is something that needs attention and management both of which he is receiving.
The 23-year-old from Ballymoney has had four concussion within a 12 month-period.
“It’s not ideal for something like that to happen to a young guy like Luke,” said O’Driscoll. “But the most important thing is he is looked after and the return to play doesn’t happen too soon.
“That’s why the reason was taken to have the return to play up in Belfast. But you’re going to have situations and you’re going to have guys who are more prone to head bangs.
“Unfortunately that is the physicality of the game that’s going to happen. And we have to live with that for the joys it does bring us.”
The former Ireland captain added the record he will probably hold after this weekend will be broken in the future but that whoever does it may have to play the game for as long as 15 years, a tough call given the increasing attrition.
Records
"I'm sure in time (it will be broken), yeah," he said. "There is always scope for guys to break records . . . all going well I'll get a record this weekend but it will be broken in no time.
“You see lots of guys now are over the 100-cap mark and still playing well. If guys look after themselves well and are able maintain their fitness for 13, 14, 15 years – particularly Southern Hemisphere players because they get more opportunities – I think you will see the 150-cap mark broken.”
