SOB story
2021, THE return of the Lions, Happy New Year. Prepare for repeats of epic moments from 2017 and feverish talk about the make-up of the squad to stare down South Africa. Seán O’Brien’s first-Test try in Auckland four years ago could run on continuous loop. In discussions about the greatest Lions tries, his name will always feature. But a contender for this year’s squad? At almost 34 and with his injury history?
The man himself is not giving up. “If I play week in, week out with London Irish and play to my potential, I could be in with a shout,” says O’Brien. “There’s a lot to come between now and then. There’s a lot to be done, it’s a shot in the dark but one which I’ll keep in the back of my head. I must play well for London Irish first and foremost, a good run of games and get back to a bit of form.”
We should expect nothing less. O’Brien is one of life’s fighters, a farmer’s son who put the wind up the posh boys. The first player from the county of Carlow to play for Ireland and the Lions. He has 61 Test caps but it could have, should have, been 100..
He has a mean
