Six Nations 2013: Kidney hopes O’Driscoll extends Ireland career

Declan Kidney knows he won’t be able to stop Brian O’Driscoll from calling it quits when the time comes – but admits he’d love to see his talismanic centre to extend his Ireland career.

O’Driscoll, now 34, has already confirmed this will be his last Six Nations but proved he’s still capable of mixing it with the best in the 30-22 defeat of Wales.

The former Ireland captain, who was replaced by Jamie Heaslip ahead of this year’s tournament, was named man-of-the-match after setting up Simon Zebo’s opening try and crossing the whitewash himself.

The centre could well bow out of the international game following the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia this summer, but Ireland coach Kidney admits whenever O’Driscoll does call it quits, it will come too soon.

“Brian will make up his own mind. I would not like to sway him one way over the other,” he said.

“The bottom line is you would love to have the guy around forever wouldn’t you? But if you look at the performance he put in, that is not easy on the body.

“Huge credit to him, given the amount of game time he has had, to come out and give such an international class performance like he did.

“It is wrong to say it doesn’t surprise you, as normally you should not be able to pull out a performance like that with the amount of game time he has under his belt. With Brian it is just a privilege to be working with him.”

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