Singapore Sevens: resurgent Ireland banishing ‘impostor syndrome’, says bullish legend Brian O’Driscoll
- Final leg of HSBC SVNS Series begins in Singapore on Friday; Argentina and New Zealand, respectively, lead men’s and women’s standings
- Overall season champions will be determined in Madrid grand finals event, Ireland men could go to Spain as league winners
Brian O’Driscoll said Ireland’s thriving men’s sevens team have banished their “impostor syndrome”, and are ready to claim a landmark first HBSC SVNS Series tournament victory.
The Irish’s latest opportunity to break their duck, five years after beating Hong Kong in a straight shoot-out for core world series status, comes at the Singapore Sevens, which begins on Friday.
Added incentive for the final event of the regular season is supplied by Ireland’s position on the shoulders of Argentina at the top of the series standings. They trail the South Americans by eight points, after finishing third in last month’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. That bronze effort followed two previous third-places this season.
Ireland, who established a full-time sevens programme only nine years ago this month, were runners-up in Dubai last season, and in Toulouse in the previous campaign.
The draw for Singapore has placed Ireland in a group with Fiji – third in the 12-team table – USA and Great Britain. Argentina face New Zealand – winners in Hong Kong – Australia and Canada.
Former 15s superstar O’Driscoll, whose 141 appearances for Ireland and the British & Irish Lions make him the fifth-highest-capped test player, told the Post: “The next step for Ireland is to win one of these events, and they are very close.
