Friendship and mutual respect

RUGBY:THE MUTUAL loathing may for once be dimmed. Not alone has the often tetchy rivalry between Felipe Contepomi and Ronan O'Gara been replaced by an intriguing mentor v protégé head to head between Contepomi and Jonathan Sexton, but no two rival Test captains have surely ever held so much mutual respect.

Along with Mario Ledesma and Martin Scelzo, Contepomi and Brian O’Driscoll are the only survivors from that fateful World Cup meeting in Lens, and throughout a rivalry also taking in Leinster-Bristol meetings and six years as team-mates at Leinster, this is their first time as opposing captains.

They have remained in contact since Contepomi moved to Toulon – he had to turn down O’Driscoll’s invitation to his wedding last summer when his mother was unwell – and their first on-field meeting since the last World Cup excites the Irish skipper.

“You want to play against the best players and he’s up there with them. He’s a great player. On his day he can be a gamebreaker, he can win a game on his own. So, yeah, I’m really looking forward to playing against him. You realise what a big challenge it is when you see how passionate he is when he pulls on that jersey.”

Despite Contepomi’s well-documented rifts with some of the Munster players, and O’Driscoll’s own on-field outbursts with Argentina, through it all their friendship and mutual respect have remained unaffected.

“No, it always stayed good. It always did. He’s had his run-ins with different guys in the team, and I’ve tried to be peacemaker at times, but there’s certain people who you have unwritten rules with. I couldn’t ever envisage getting a dig from him or hitting him. But, at the same time, it doesn’t mean you won’t get super physical with one another in a fair way.”

O’Driscoll reckons Contepomi is a more controlled influence at inside centre, “but having said that, I’ve seen him rip teams apart at ten. I enjoyed playing outside Phil because he’s a good guy to run off. He’s a good man for an offload but, as well, he’s very, very strong. His frame is not that big but he’s a very strong guy.

“I remember playing against him when he played for Bristol and hitting him, thinking I was going to put him into next week. But I did a somersault backwards as he ran over me. I thought ‘we need to sign this guy’.”

Less than half an hour later in the Burlington Hotel, Contepomi was just as complimentary about O’Driscoll. “As a player he’s one of those players who only comes around every 100 years. He has been the best in his position for 10 years and he’s still the best, so it’s been a pleasure to play with him, a pleasure to watch him and it’s a nightmare when you play against him.

“As a person, I’ve been lucky. You value perhaps the player even more when you play with him. Brian is really an example for everyone, he leads by example, he’s a natural leader and outside the pitch he’s one of those guys you can always give him a call and he’ll be beside you, a really nice guy. I got on really well with him, I still get in contact and I think he’s a great person.”

Contepomi also spoke of how Sexton has been “getting better and better every game” in advance of their first clash. “But I know what he’s capable of, he’s a complete player, good in defence, good in attack, he attacks the ball, he likes to run, he has really good skills and he’s a great kicker.

“So obviously I always wish him the best, though I hope he’s not in flying form on Sunday. But for him it will be an interesting game and it will be good to be on the pitch with him.”

Even the sledging might be eased off. “I wouldn’t get lippy with Phil,” says O’Driscoll, before adding with a smile: “But I’m sure he will be full of lip for other people. He might still be roaring abuse at Rog on the bench, but I wouldn’t envisage anything between Phil and Johnny. They were pals.

“I couldn’t envisage Phil being abusive toward any of the Leinster lads. I think invariably the guys he had trouble with were the guys in Munster. But Test matches have thrown up stranger things. We’ll have to wait and see.”