In position to call the shots

Six Nations Ireland v Scotland:Mick O'Driscoll has pursued a rugby career without the aid of a safety net. From the moment he broke into the Munster senior squad as a 20-year-old he found himself fighting continuously for a coveted red jersey.

Along the way he's had to stare down Munster icons, Mick Galwey, John Langford and in more recent times Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan to try and wrest a place in the secondrow.

He's never backed down but he's also never contented himself with being a high-end squad number. A two-year stint in Perpignan underlined his character and attitude to the game.

Since his repatriation the 29-year-old has continued to fight on two fronts, provincial and international.

On Saturday against Scotland at Croke Park he will win his 14th cap, a landmark to perseverance alongside traditional rugby virtues.

He won his first cap in 2001 against Romania when coming on as a replacement and it wasn't until his ninth cap - against Italy at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome during last season's Six Nations - that he started for the first time.

He faced the opening kick-off for the second Test during Ireland's summer tour to Argentina head of the World Cup and this Saturday marks a third start.

Self-deprecating and with a sense of humour that has undoubtedly helped him to deal with the vagaries of a professional sportsman's career, O'Driscoll knows he hasn't always flourished in an Ireland jersey.

"It's a bit like Tommy (Bowe). I had opportunities before and didn't take them the way I would have liked. Hopefully it will be good enough this time. When I came on against France things were changing (in terms of the momentum of the match) and I was lucky in that respect."

He neglected to mention that his impact was easily discernible from the moment he strode onto the Stade de France pitch and followed on a similar cameo against Italy at Croke Park two weeks earlier. It forced Eddie O'Sullivan to make a tough call between Malcolm O'Kelly and O'Driscoll that narrowly came down in the latter player's favour.

Having won this duel O'Driscoll knows that there's another in the offing with the return of O'Connell to the squad; nestled among the replacements.

"In terms of thinking about the players behind you in the pecking order this week, you've got to just erase that, don't you? For me, it's a huge opportunity. You can't look over your shoulder; if you do you're in trouble.

"The position in Munster is the same. With Donners (Donncha O'Callaghan), Paulie (Paul O'Connell) and Donnacha Ryan there is a lot of competition there, and then with Ireland there is Mal (O'Kelly) and Leo (Cullen), as well as others. There really is some strong competition and there is plenty of quality in those positions."

Far from looking on the competition as being slightly claustrophobic, O'Driscoll prefers to view it as a challenge, one that he'll embrace with gusto. "Anyone who pulls on the Irish shirt: if you're not proud then you shouldn't be there. It should be the biggest thing for any player."

A measure of the regard in which he is held can be gleaned from the fact that he will call the lineouts against the Scots. It's an aspect of the game in which he is particularly strong and it will be a central responsibility in any potential Irish victory.

No one could accuse O'Driscoll of opting for a road less travelled. He knows that his international career doesn't come with a warranty, aware of the importance of taking every opportunity and enjoying it.

He won't be holding back on Saturday.