Brian O'Driscoll: The new rules are positive from a players point of view

An outstanding display from Brian O’Driscoll was one of the reasons why Cork got the better of Meath in the Allianz Division 2 football league opener on Saturday evening.

The Rebels prevailed on a scoreline of 2-19 to 0-21 at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, helped in no small part by the performance of the Carrigaline player. Wearing the number five jersey, O’Driscoll started at wing-forward and ended up with 0-6 (1 2pt f, 1 f).

“We are happy to get the two points in the bag,” he said post-match.

“A mixed bag in terms of the performance. We performed very well at times, but then were sloppy at other times. We wouldn’t be happy with the game management late on, but look it’s two league points.

“It was an enjoyable game to play in. It’s going to take time to get used to the new rules. You didn't really know where you were until you played a competitive game and how the tactics were going to work. There was a lot of space around the middle and plenty of kick passing and opportunities to shoot and take guys on, so it’s a positive from a players point of view.” 

O’Driscoll will go into the history books as the first player to get a two-pointer in a competitive game, which came from a free.

“We were down a few senior players this evening, but other lads stepped up,” he says.

“The objective was to win the game. We wouldn’t have been happy over the winter with how we bowed out of the championship last year. It’s just about finding our feet. It was end to end this evening, it was level at the break. Luckily, we tidied a few things up at half-time and came out with a strong performance for the first 20 minutes of the second half, which was enough to get over the line.

“We needed that cushion. With the two-pointers now, we were up four points late on and had Meath nailed a two-pointer, it was game on again. It’s good for the game though, it keeps the game alive. It encourages players to take on those shots that are a little bit more risky, so it’s all positive.” 

Irrespective of how Cork got on against Meath, the long trip up to Newry this weekend to meet Down on Sunday at 1pm will be a difficult challenge, but it’s a huge opportunity for John Cleary’s charges to get another two points on the board before a two-week break.

“We know Down will be very tough. Because of our location, away trips tend to be long ones, but it gives a chance for the team to spend time together. You have to make the most of these trips and turn them into an enjoyable experience as much as you can.” O'Driscoll concluded.