Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll believes Beibhinn Parsons can become a world-class winger, with the impressive teenager still having plenty of untapped potential.
Parsons lit up the 2021 Women’s Six Nations with a scintillating display in Ireland’s 45-0 victory over Wales in Round 2 as she scored two tries, made a Championship-high 162 metres, broke 12 tackles and made three linebreaks.
That earned her both the Women’s Six Nations Player of the Round and Try of the Round – the latter coming for her brilliant 50-metre score where she slipped two tackles.
Parsons is still only 19 years old but O’Driscoll – who was speaking on an Instagram Live with Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt on the official Women’s Six Nations Instagram channel – says the sky is the limit for the talented teen.
“Don’t think that Jess Breach over there [in England] is the only one capable of being a world-class winger. We’ve got one of our own as well!” said O’Driscoll.
“She’s something else. For 19 years of age especially. I first heard of her last year, that was when she properly broke on to the scene but she’s been in the national set-up for three years now.
“She had to room on her own when she first came into the camp because she was so young! That’s when you know you’re talented.
“She was parachuted in, which shows her talent, but her physique for 19 years old – to do what she’s able to do – there’s clearly power and speed. Now she just needs to develop the other parts of her game.”
O’Driscoll knows all about what it takes to succeed at the highest level as he won two Guinness Six Nations titles during his playing career, including the Grand Slam in 2009, and is still Ireland’s all-time highest appearance maker and try scorer.
He acknowledges that Parsons isn’t the finished product just yet but is keen to see her continue to develop and perhaps even shift inside from her current wing position in the long term.
“It’s all about getting your best players on the park but it’s also important to get them in key positions on the pitch,” he explained.
“I wonder if she has the capabilities to not just play as a winger but to play at centre, maybe one day play at ten? Does she have the all-round game to develop it? Because you want to get her as many touches as you possibly can in any game.
“You watch what she’s doing in the loose and the try she scored but it’s also about the close-quarters stuff as well – the ability to eke out three four or five yards in lots of traffic. It’s that that grabs the attention.
“We’re almost expecting the 50-metre runs and she has that in the bank but it’s the other bits – the footwork close to the line, making the most of her mismatches against tight forwards and when she is hit at close-quarters, getting that leg drive to put her team on the front foot.
“I’m looking forward to seeing her developing over the next while and starting to come off her wing a bit more rather than waiting for the ball.”
