Great to at last get wind in our sails

Brian O'Driscoll's Diary Occasionally in sport good intentions are tempered by practical handicaps. On Saturday, Romania proved an incredibly physical team, there was a gale blowing down the pitch and initially there was a tension, a rustiness that hampered our performance.

These were mitigating factors, not excuses, and while there would have been a touch of disappointment coming off the pitch, it quickly gave way to the realisation we had achieved most of the goals we spoke about before the match.

We won the game, we secured a bonus point and despite bumps and bruises there were no serious injuries. Throw in Shane Horgan and John Hayes both confirming they are fully rehabilitated from injury and realistically it was a decent afternoon's work.

I'm not sure that television did justice to the strength of the gale that was blowing in off the sea and straight down the pitch at Gosford. When we had our final run-out prior to the match at the squad base, the wind was unbelievable and conditions were possibly even worse at the stadium.

It wasn't a question of striking the ball wind-assisted, more a case of getting it airborne and it would fly forever. We decided to play with the wind in the first half and that allowed us to establish a lead and a platform. It wasn't vintage Ireland but we scored the tries when it mattered and from that perspective it was heartening.

Romania were very physical, as I found out when getting the stuffing knocked out of me on one occasion. I was blindsided in the sense that because I was concentrating on the pass, I didn't see the hit coming and therefore couldn't brace myself for the impact. It took about five minutes before I got my wind back, a little ironic given the conditions.

They don't come across as physical but believe me they hit hard and are big men. Although some things patently didn't come off, we remained patient and eventually took the opportunities. In terms of the guys who had been out with long-term injuries, I thought Shaggy (Shane Horgan) was fantastic for someone who hasn't played an international in nine months.

The Bull (John Hayes), scrummaged very well, I'm reliably informed, and made his usual contribution around the pitch. Conceding two tries won't have endeared us to defensive coach Mike Ford and we'll no doubt address those shortcomings in training.

Den (Denis Hickie) edged farther ahead in the try-scoring stakes and is quickly disappearing onto the horizon: pretty much an unassailable lead.

Obviously the Jimmy Greaves of his generation - the ol' one-yard plunge - he has that incredible knack of being in the right place at the right time. I'll have to study a few videos to understand how he manages it.

Examining his first try, you'll notice that having been shot by a sniper (he stumbled) it allowed him to arrive opportunely after Girv (Girvan Dempsey) had done all the hard work. Joking aside, no one cares who scores while we're winning matches.

We've had an opportunity to see several matches - the Australia-Argentina game in full and bits and pieces from several other games - and the common theme is that all the sides have looked a little rusty, a tad anxious. In our experience that was apparent in training on Thursday and Friday when guys got a bit testy, the tension palpable.

In hasn't been all rugby and thanks to Bonny (John Langford) we've enjoyed some memorable times away from the training pitch. During our couple of days off he organised several activities, of which one was surfing. Suffice to say that being six foot eight inches tall is not conducive to surfing, as Mal O'Kelly illustrated to everyone's great hilarity.

In fairness though, he wasn't the worst, that dubious distinction falling to Girvan Dempsey; no threat to Kelly Slater. We were given a choice of two beaches from which to surf and chose the more difficult one with six- or seven-foot waves. It was a mistake and only Humphs (David Humphreys) could be considered an apprentice dude in what is an incredibly tiring sport.

Another lighter moment came when Guy Easterby and Donncha O'Callaghan were introduced to a python called Groper. The dynamic duo quickly lost their bravado, dissolving into nervous laughter and then sheer panic as the python decided to constrict, forcing their heads together. The lads were in convulsions at the spectacle.

Many of the players will have enjoyed the discomfort of the tour judge, Guy Easterby, who has been handing out fines left, right and centre. I suffered, though inadvertently. Players must weigh in every morning before breakfast and I was called one day for not doing so. Recalling that morning, I remembered that I had actually weighed in. Unfortunately, because Mal had the pencil poised beside the sheet I asked him to record my weight and therein lay the fatal error. "Okay bud," is not a guarantee in Mal's case.

Today it's a corporate golf outing and the opportunity for the sharks, Humphs, Fester (Keith Wood), Axel (Anthony Foley), Mal and Ronan "Please Give Me 18" O'Gara, to make a little money.

These events are welcome distractions as the Namibia game looms into view next Sunday. The challenge will be to raise the performance again, conscious that tougher days lie ahead.