In the first episode of 'In Conversation with Brian O'Driscoll', 18-time All-Ireland winner Rena Buckley joins Brian to discuss an incredible career that can be rivalled by very few.
18 time All Ireland winner and legendary dual star Rena Buckley was an incredibly apt guest for the inaugural episode of 'In Conversation with Brian O'Driscoll', being one of the most decorated players in LGFA and camogie history.
The Cork hero dives into just what it was exactly that set her apart during her career, citing that it was far from stardust or magic that excelled her and her team to victory on so many occasions, but rather an ability to persist and perform routinely.
“I was not the best player, I was just a consistent player that came along at the right time on a very good team” she explains to O'Driscoll.
“I think probably I was a good decision maker. So like I wasn’t a player that could only play here, I wasn’t a one trick pony from that point of view. I could play in a number of positions.
“Now I definitely had a bit of an engine, pace wasn’t my thing at all but I would make good decisions based on the scenario I was in, the position I was playing and the team I was playing with. I think the decision making was the thing.”
But did she possess that nail-biting competitive edge witnessed in so many of the greatest sportspeople throughout history?
“To a degree maybe” she recalls.
“I wasn’t wild on the field, I was measured. You have to have that spark always, you have to be consistent like. You’re not just going to have an ‘A’ game on All Ireland final day, you have to be consistent throughout the year obviously so like I was more that type of player than the player who comes out of nowhere to deliver a massive performance.
“I wasn’t that player, I could tell you beforehand what you’re going to get from me like. It’s going to be good decisions, consistent.
“I’d hope to say that I didn’t pull out of tackles, like I definitely would have had a hardiness like that and I wouldn’t have gone easily or hardly at all. There definitely was a hardiness like that.
“I used to love when people would try to hurt me like, but I wouldn’t say anything, they’d just give up like and stop trying to hurt me.”
‘In Conversation with Brian O’Driscoll’ on OTB, in partnership with Guinness. Always drink responsibly. Get the facts. Be drinkaware. Visit drinkaware.ie
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