Last week, Brian O'Driscoll shared some images on Instagram of his first foray into skiing. It was a mini-disaster, resulting in the former Ireland captain requiring 18 stitches in his knee.
The accident happened on Grouse Mountain near Vancouver. The Rugby Sevens World Series, with which O'Driscoll has an involvement, was taking place in the city at the time.
Also on the mountain that day was rugby commentator Sean Maloney. On the Fox Sports rugby podcast this week, Maloney explained how he may have been partially responsible for the accident.
After hitting the slopes for the first time in 20 years, Maloney took a break to grab some food.
Who should I bump into but the great Brian O'Driscoll, BOD himself, who was on the mountain for the first time ever. He's having a slice of pizza as well. He says, 'Come join me for lunch.' We get chatting. He'd had a couple of lessons that morning. I suggested we go out together. This was his first ever day on the mountain.
He suggested that we try a little sneaky blue. I said, 'Sure.' We hit the blue. We do OK on the blue. I took him to a steeper blue that I'd already had a crack at that morning. He said, 'I'll give it a go.' Disaster ensues.
Maloney felt O'Driscoll was doing well for someone who had only skied for the first time hours earlier, So, he encouraged O'Driscoll to take on some of the more difficult slopes.
I'd skied all the way to the bottom to the Olympic chairlift which takes you to the peak. That's where I wanted to work him towards, the peak because you can see that from everywhere and it looks good.
I get to the chairlift and I watch him come down. He's going pretty quick, he's going way too quick and then, BOOM!, trouble. Skis go flying everywhere, they come out. He's taken a tumble. He gets himself together, he meets me at the bottom of the lift. We jump on and as he's heading up he goes, 'Ooohhh, my ski pants are ripped. Ooooh, my long johns are torn too. Ooooh, I'm bleeding. I can see where the cut starts but not where it finishes.'
We get to the top of the mountain and take him into the chairlift booth. He peels back his long johns and ski pants to reveal a cut. 18 stitches later....
Maloney agreed that he may have been partially culpable for the accident.
I go, mate, 'You have stuffed my day, O'Driscoll. You've ruined it.'
Then they have to bring the little medicab slide along. Instead of going down the peak like me, like a man, he's on his back as two guys drag him down. They drag him down the hill on the toboggan.
We get to the bottom. Then there's, [makes siren noises]. We get rolled onto the back of that and taken to the chalet. The great people, the Canada Sevens, the tournament doctor ends up putting 18 stitches in O'Driscoll's leg.
He did not once whimper and form of complaint. It's a shark attack-style hit on his knee.
Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
