Legendary Lions star Brian O’Driscoll could become a record breaker this weekend.
The triple Lions tourist is now just one score away from equaling the Six Nations try-scoring record.
O’Driscoll currently has 23 tournament scores to his name following his latest crucial try in Ireland’s narrow win in Italy last Saturday.
Another score in the Round 2 clash with France in Dublin on Sunday would bring the former Lions captain level with Scotland’s Ian Smith with three rounds still to play this spring.
Smith scored 24 tries in just 32 games for Scotland, with all of those scores coming in the Four and Five Nations.
The Australian-born and New Zealand-raised Oxford University student, who was known as ‘The Flying Scotsman’ due to his pace and finishing ability, also toured with the Lions in 1924, featuring in the first two of the four Tests against the Springboks.
His try-scoring record has remained unmatched since his last season of international rugby when he captained Scotland to Triple Crown success in 1933.
Smith also held the record for total tries scored in international rugby up until 1987 when he was finally overtaken by Australia’s David Campese.
O’Driscoll has already passed Smith when it comes to tries scored against all opposition having hit 42 in his 108 appearances for Ireland to date.
The Leinster centre scored his first Six Nations try against Scotland back in 2000 and has a tournament strike ratio of just less than a score in every two matches.
And while O’Driscoll is the type of character who would gladly swap the record for a victory against the French, achieving both would be the perfect way to mark the first-ever Six Nations encounter at the Aviva Stadium.
