Will Greenwood hails Brian O'Driscoll's famous year and laments the loss of the British & Irish Lions in South Africa in The Daily Telegraph.
"Come the autumn, their self-belief enabled them to snatch a draw against Australia and then they delivered in another humdinger against South Africa. The next step is the hardest – Ireland now have to take down the big guns on their own turf. Until they do that, they will be merely a good team; now they have to push for greatness.
"Individually on the world stage there have been some massive performances, aside from O'Driscoll. Fourie du Preez won everything he could and has been South Africa's key man over the past three years. Matt Giteau is simply the most aesthetically pleasing rugby player around. Dan Carter's return from a snapped Achilles has been majestic. Rocky Elsom led Leinster home in the Heineken Cup.
"Simon Shaw was awesome in the second and third Lions Tests in South Africa, Jamie Roberts was remarkable in the first and three-quarters of the second. Jamie Heaslip was magnificent all year. And Richie McCaw brought a New Zealand side who were under pressure up north in the autumn and led from the front as they destroyed everyone."
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