O'Driscoll in action for Ireland during this year's tour to Australia and New Zealand © Getty Images

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Players/Officials Brian O'Driscoll

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After spearheading Leinster's successful start to this season's Heineken Cup campaign with a superb individual display against Edinburgh on Saturday, Brian O'Driscoll is turning his attention to Ireland's autumn internationals against New Zealand, Argentina and Canada.

The series will be the first home clashes under the stewardship of new Ireland coach Declan Kidney, who arrived in the post fresh from guiding Munster to the Heineken Cup in May this year. Following the acrimonious departure of Eddie O'Sullivan at the end of the 2008 Six Nations, it is now down to Kidney to inject new ideas and motivation into an Irish camp that had appeared to be growing stale.

O'Driscoll believes that the behind-the-scenes changes could revitalise a flagging Irish national side. "We've met once as a squad, and it's been good," he said. "There's a new, fresh look to the coaching panel and I think everyone is excited again, we needed a bit of rejuvenation and I'm sure Declan will bring that."

Ireland appeared to have made some progress following last season's disappointing Rugby World Cup and Six Nations campaigns with an encouraging, if unrewarded, trip to New Zealand and Australia over the summer. Narrow losses to the All Blacks and the Wallabies provided opportunities for several younger players to stake claims at the highest level, and O'Driscoll is confident that there is yet more to come from Ireland's new breed.

"Rob Kearney has been playing very well so far this season, he was probably the best player on tour this summer in Australia and New Zealand," he said. "Luke Fitzgerald has also been great this year for Leinster and Keith Earls down at Munster has also really shown some great form."

Ireland has long had a sparkling backs division, and the emergence of the young Fitzgerald, Earls and Kearney only points to that continuing. O'Driscoll's greatest praise is reserved however for fledgling Leinster prop Cian Healy, who is currently making a name for himself in the dark and claustrophobic realms of the front-row rather than the expanse inhabited by O'Driscoll and co.

"Cian Healy might not be there yet but is making big inroads into the provincial scene. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he breaks into the international set up. He's only turning 21 next week and if you think of a prop's longevity he probably has another 15 years to go."

These young players appear to be part of a long-term plan for Ireland's return to the form that saw them win three Triple Crowns in four seasons between 2004 and 2007, beginning perhaps with a scalp in the autumn. Now 29, O'Driscoll is one of the most respected presences in world rugby, and will be instrumental in guiding these younger players towards proving themselves on the international stage.

While New Zealand are the only Tri-Nations side visiting Irish shores there will be added spice in a re-match from last season's World Cup pool stages, with Juan Martin Hernandez and Argentina looking for another strong showing against the Irish.

The dangerous Pumas will provide a difficult task for the new Irish set-up, but O'Driscoll is looking forward to welcoming Richie McCaw's All Blacks to a vociferous Croke Park and possibly ending a drought against the Kiwis. "We'd like to think we can pick up a result," he said. "We've never beaten the All Blacks but it's the first time that they've ever come to Croke Park so hopefully there will be a similar atmosphere to the England game last season and we can use a big Irish partisan crowd to cheer us through."

Partisan crowd or not it will be a tall order for Ireland to overturn the Grand Slam-seeking All Blacks, but with a fit and firing O'Driscoll at the heart of the team there will be no quarter asked and none given.

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