BRIAN O’Driscoll admits Irish fans are ‘definitely’ deemed arrogant by global rugby supporters.
The flames were fanned around how Irish rugby is perceived in the build-up to last week’s victory in Cardiff.
Guinness’ Field of Vision campaign brings a revolutionary sensory experience to visually impaired fans at this year’s Guinness Men’s and Women’s Six Nations Championships[/caption]
An Off the Ball segment drew a lot of ire after pondering whether Simon Easterby’s men could win ‘with 12 or 13 men’.
So it was no surprise that O’Driscoll was asked for his take on how Ireland are now viewed after decades of being merely plucky underdogs rather than among the world’s best.
Speaking at a promotional event for Guinness’ Field of Vision campaign, he replied to a question about portions of the Irish fanbase having become a bit full of themselves.
He outlined: “For sure, not like maybe.
“We’re not in a good place ourselves to make a decision on how we are as a team that’s going well, it’s other people that will make that decision.
“For teams that have gone well, Leinster would be the same, I don’t think there’s much love for Leinster across Europe.
“People will say it’s because the fans are hard to deal with and I hear that from my work colleagues over in the UK.
“There’s not much love for Leinster, and there’s less and less love for Ireland around being good winners.
“It’s hard for very successful teams to enjoy (widespread popularity).
“Saracen were never adored as a team in England, but they were wildly successful for a period of time.
“That just happens that successful teams will not be loved, people get a bit fed up with it.
“I do think, I don’t see it a huge amount but just from word of mouth that there are things that are put out on social media and conversations that don’t showcase the best of us.
“And they certainly don’t help our case saying we’re humble winners, so we have to be mindful of it.”
GUILTY TOO
For several years Irish pundits and fans have routinely levelled accusations of cockiness against the likes of Scotland and England.
So the 133-times capped icon feels it’s only right that Irish rugby folk acknowledge that it has become fair to say the same at them.
He concluded: “We said it the same about everybody else, Scotland getting ahead of themselves, Wales being hard to work with, England being arrogant…
“I think we might need to internalise an awful lot of that and have a good hard look at ourselves because it certainly appears (we are too).
“I saw an article in The Telegraph the other day to the extent of; are Ireland a hard team to enjoy, are they getting ahead of themselves?
“I would say the supporters yes. The team no.”
The 46-year-old later backed Ireland to just about pip France on March 8 in what could prove a virtual tournament decider for this year’s Six Nations.
