If Ireland’s victory at Croke Park could be defined by a single moment then Brian O’Driscoll’s thunderous tackle on South African fullback Zane Kirchner in the final throes of a pulsating duel encapsulated a team’s attitude. John Sullivan writesin the Irish Times.
"The Irish captain had no regard for his own physical well being when he launched himself into a collision that would prove crucial to the final outcome. Ireland were stretched paper thin, inside their own 22 with the game clock showing 80 minutes. Some 74,900 spectators held their collective breath as the Springboks propelled themselves towards the potential salvation of a try.
"Those expectations foundered when O’Driscoll emptied Kirchner in the tackle, forcing the concession of a penalty as the stunned Springbok clung onto the ball on the ground, a reflex action. Ireland, the Grand Slam winners had beaten South Africa, the world and Tri-Nations kingpins in the self proclaimed battle of the hemispheres."
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