DArcy was destined for little more than bench duty before the tournament began but ODriscolls hamstring injury - which ruled the British Lion out of the opener against France - resulted in a dramatic change of fortunes.

The 24-year-old Leinster player was handed the number 13 shirt in his captains absence and grasped the opportunity, embarking on the first of a chain of top drawer performances which catapulted him into the spotlight.

ODriscoll was even forced to switch to inside centre upon his return against Wales as coach Eddie OSullivan appreciated the need to accommodate DArcy in a position where his incisive running could be deployed to its lethal best.

And on Saturday he gave further indication of his comfort in the Test arena by running in two tries as Ireland overcame Scotland 37-16 at Lansdowne Road to end their 19-year search for a Triple Crown.

Its pretty clear from his performance against Scotland that Gordon is a very talented player. He scored a couple of tries and I was shocked to hear they were his first international points, said ODriscoll.

His broken field running is very special and that facet of his game sets him apart from a huge number of players. And defensively I would like to see his statistics because I dont think he has missed many tackles in the Six Nations.

He worries people when he is positioned at 13. I dont think there has been a better centre or back in the Six Nations this year. He has been in excellent form and I am sure he takes an element of pressure off me.

He has rounded his game extremely well and that thanks to all the hard work he has put in over the last couple of years.