Rugby:Nick De Luca left Riki Flutey and Mathew Tait dazed and confused last weekend but the Scotland centre admits trying to do the same to Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy may be his biggest ever challenge.
De Luca came agonisingly close to a dream recall in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup draw at Murrayfield, the big-hitting Edinburgh star helping nullify England’s centre pairing of Flutey and Tait at Murrayfield.
He and Graeme Morrison will now be charged with doing the same in this weekend’s game against Ireland.
Asked if facing O’Driscoll and D’Arcy is the ultimate test for a centre, De Luca said: “It’s one of them, definitely. Playing these guys, there’s a bit more movement, a bit more flair, as opposed to playing somebody who’s 20 stone and 6ft 5in.
“Brian O’Driscoll is known as the greatest centre of modern times. It’ll be a good contest and I look forward to trying to get one up on him.”
O’Driscoll has made mincemeat of the world’s best during his 11-year, 100-Test international career. De Luca accepts stopping the 31-year-old Leinster star may prove impossible if Scotland are unable to limit his involvement this weekend.
“If our pack stops him getting the ball, then job done,” said De Luca, who warned O’Driscoll poses just as many problems defensively as with the ball in his hands. “He’s very much a leader for them in the back line, he flies up hard and he stops a lot of attacks.
“So we have to address that and make sure we can exploit the holes he leaves behind him.”
And there is no danger of De Luca being overawed, despite Saturday’s game being his first start against Ireland and only his 16th cap overall.
“If you’d never played him before, you’d probably be a wee bit more worried,” said De Luca, who has come up against O’Driscoll numerous times in Edinburgh-Leinster Magners League games.
“I’ve played him on four or five occasions and I’ve been happy with the times I have played him. Hopefully, it’ll be another happy memory.”
Scotland should be travelling to Dublin with at least two — if not three — wins under their belts. But the reality is they will take to the field in the final ever Test at Croke
Park with the wooden spoon hanging over them.
Ireland, meanwhile have the Triple Crown to aim for and can also still win the Six Nations if England pull off a shock win in France.
“They’ll be motivated — without doubt — let alone it being the last game at Croke Park,” De Luca said. “So it’s going to be a tough task for us and we look forward to the challenge.”