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Published 16:27 4 Sept 2023 BST
Updated 21:56 4 Sept 2023 BST
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"Watching Scotland a few weeks ago I thought, 'My God, is there a chance we don’t?' We have to think we’re going to reach the quarter-finals, although those words could come back to ruin me. Then we could face either New Zealand or France — it couldn’t be much tougher."There were no surprises when Ireland's record caps holder revealed who he thought Ireland's most important players would be, as he singled out the Leinster half-back pairing of Johnny Sexton and Jamison Gibson-Park for particular praise.
"That’s a photo finish between Johnny Sexton and Jamison Gibson-Park. The speed and tempo of that half-back partnership are vital," he said.[caption id="attachment_292344" align="alignnone" width="640"]
O'Driscoll has named France scrum-half Antoine Dupont as the one player he'd love to see line out in an Ireland shirt. (Credit: Getty Images)[/caption]
"France’s Antoine Dupont is in a different sphere to everyone else."O'Driscoll went on to discuss who he saw as potential underdogs alongside who he thought could be the rising star of this World Cup. Naming Fiji as his ones to watch, O'Driscoll said, "Fiji are a risk to Wales and Australia in Pool C. The only time in the four-year cycle that Fiji share a big pre-season together is before the World Cup... I’m interested to see the teams with players who have converted back to the Pacific country of their birth or ancestry." It was an Irishman who got his nod for rising star though, with O'Driscoll remarking;
"Ireland’s Caelan Doris is the perfect fit as a No.8 for what they’re trying to do."Should Ireland not go on to ultimately win the tournament, the four-time British and Irish Lion settled on the All Blacks as his most likely alternative winner, stating the he was enjoying the quiet nature of their build-up and that they would become "a real handful" as the tournament progressed. Related Articles:
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