O’Driscoll was the only Irishman included in the Rugby World magazine’s Team of the Decade featuring seven North Hemisphere players and nine from the South.

RUGBY WORLD TEAM OF THE DECADE: Mils Muliana (New Zealand); Jason Robinson (England), Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), Matt Giteau (Australia), Shane Williams (Wales); Dan Carter (New Zealand), Agustin Pichot (Argentina); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), John Smit (South Africa), Carl Hayman (New Zealand), Martin Johnson (England) (capt), Victor Matfield (South Africa), Richard Hill (England), Richie McCaw (New Zealand), Sergio Parisse (Italy).

Replacements: Rodrigo Roncero (Argentina), Mario Ledesma (Argentina), Sylvain Marconnet (France), Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina), Fourie Du Preez (South Africa), Jonny Wilkinson (England), Yannick Jauzion (France), Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina).

Shane Horgan picked up the Try of the Year (for the second year running) for his try against England at Croke.

Former Leinster loose forward Victor Costello was inducted into Ireland’s Hall of Fame and at the other end of the scale fullback/wing Luke Fitzgerald collected the Young Player of the Year award.

D’arcy missed out on the overall Player of the Six Nations award to Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll, but is the first player to have won this award twice!