
Football
Share
Published 15:34 19 Feb 2018 GMT
Updated 15:47 19 Feb 2018 GMT
Explore more on these topics:
"That would have been intense - training three or four times a week and a game on Saturday - so I wouldn't have played with a club. But since I'm out of school, now, I play for UCD, which is where I go to college as well. I'm really enjoying my club rugby." "I'm doing actuary and financial studies," he added, "and I'm in my second year now. Enjoying that too. "I'm friends with a few lads in the course, so they help me out. It's just about trying to catch up on notes. You'd miss the odd lectures with matches and that but, generally, the lecturers are very accommodating. It's about trying to catch up as best you can."At one stage of our life or the other, we have all used the excuse that we can't go training or make a match because we have a lecture, or vice versa. O'Brien is not one for making excuses. Sure, it's a struggle but he gets his work done.
The Ireland U20 captain says his sporting upbringing was just like 'your usual Irish kid'. "Some GAA, football, golf, tennis, athletics," he says. "As you get older, you kind of prioritise and focus in on one so that was rugby for me.
"My dad would be big into rugby and he would have played in school but there wouldn't be massive rugby pedigree. I would have grown up in Foxrock, just down the road from where I went to school. No massive rugby pedigree but we would have always been mad into watching it and I played it from a young age. "My dad loves getting along to the games. He would have been my biggest influence when I was younger. He was always out the back, passing a ball or kicking a ball with me. I'm sure he was probably sick of it when he was younger but he's reaping the rewards and getting a few free tickets out of it now! He's loving it as much as I am."As for those big tackles, O'Brien smiles when they are brought up. "Attacking and scoring tries gets a lot of mentions," he says, "but sometimes it can be equally as satisfying making a defensive tackle or a turnover. I enjoy that side of the game, but I love scoring the tries as well." As captain, and someone midway through his second U20 campaign, O'Brien is in a good position to flag some of this season's top young performers.
"It's still quite early on but, obviously, James McCarthy went quite well with a man of the match performance against Italy. Twice nice tries. "Across the board, a few of the guys have been really stepping up - Jack Augnier, Jack O'Sullivan, Jack Dunne as well... a lot of Jacks there; I didn't mean that! A lot of guys have stepped up - Harry Byrne has been very good as well."There is a lot of strength in depth too and Noel [McNamara] has really pushed that - that no-one is allowed to get comfortable. And if you're not performing well in training, you'll get swapped out."
Live sport on TV in Ireland this weekend – Football, GAA, Rugby – April 24th to 26th
Some huge clashes! The ultimate TV guide for live weekend sport in Ireland is back! It’s another huge week in the Premier League with Arsenal hosting Newcastle, there are a host of massive inter-county championship matches in both hurling and Gaelic football, and there is an intriguing Irish derby in the URC to look forward […]
Football
7h
Huge changes in store as Lions launch bid to tour new countries
This could be massive! The Lions could soon be adding a new country to their list of touring destinations, according to an exclusive report from The Telegraph. The iconic representative team – which combines the best players from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales – currently tour South Africa, Australia and New Zealand on a rotating […]
Football
13h
Football
Munster statement defends new coach over historical rape accusations
Football