Despite newspaper rumours of a difficult relationship between himself and Sir Clive Woodward, O'Driscoll was appointed as the captain of the Lions with a glowing endorsement from the World-Cup winning coach.

Woodward said of his lieutenant: "He is a proven world-class player, he is a proven leader and a man who made his name by excelling for the Lions."

That was reference to O'Driscoll's performances Down Under when he ripped apart the much-vaunted Australian defence in the first Test of the 2001 Lions tour with a sensational solo score.

Regarded by many as the best centre in world rugby, O'Driscoll inherited the Ireland captaincy on the retirement of veteran hooker Keith Wood and while he could not deliver the Six Nations title this season, his form rarely dropped below his own high standards.

Having made his debut against Australia in 1999, he appeared in all four Ireland matches in that year’s World Cup, and all five in the 2003 tournament.

Fleet-footed and with remarkable acceleration, O'Driscoll is the man to get the ball to in attack.

His handling is also outstanding, making him a serious threat to any defence, as evidenced by his 27 tries in 59 appearances for the men in green.

The frightening statistic for opposition players is that he is still only 26, seems to be getting better and better with experience and will be just one part of a backline that also boasts the likes of Jason Robinson, Shane Williams and Josh Lewsey. It could be rugby heaven.