For some reason I have the theme tune to Mission Impossible playing in my head as I write this one. And here comes the dulcet Kiwi tones of Joe Schmidt, “Your mission Brian, should you choose to accept it, is to beat to France in Paris! This team will self destruct in 80 minutes!”
The shadow of Brian O’Driscoll looms large over this game and rightfully so. It is the end of an era, the end of the golden generation and the retirement from International Rugby of Ireland’s very own Ethan Hunt who has delivered more impossible missions than any other player in modern times.
The rest of the cast have been reshuffled, with Ireland’s most likely next folk hero Iain Henderson taking a back seat in the series finale, giving Peter O’Mahony the chance to act the villain at blind-side!
I can see the smoke come out of my Munster chums ears as I write that about their beloved . . .
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