"I got dragged to see Lady Gaga!"

Speaking openly to Stuart Clark in the new issue of Hot Press (out today), Irish rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll talks about the rugby year ahead, the Aviva Stadium, trying to find time to chill with the wife Amy, music in the Irish camp, and being dragged to see Lady Gaga!

On his hectic rugby schedule this year Brian said, “Somebody worked out that we’re going to be away from home for at least a third of the year, but that’s what you sign up for. It’s the nature of my job and it’s the nature of Amy’s too."

With regards to the Aviva Statium, O'Driscoll makes the point that the IRFU made mistakes in relation to ticket pricing for recent international matches – and that they know it.

“For the 11 years I’ve been playing for Ireland it’s been a given that our home games have been full or close to full, regardless of the opposition," he tells Hot Press. "This was the first time we didn’t have that and it was a great shame because the bigger the crowd, the bigger the buzz you get off them. The cheer you get from a full stadium definitely affects the team.”

"I’m certainly not going to blame supporters for not fronting up money that they didn’t have. Their loyalty’s never been in question before and it certainly isn’t now.”

A fan of music, Brian reluctantly went to see Lady Gaga in action, "I also got dragged to see Lady Gaga who I didn’t think I’d be into, but she was great. The show, the voice, the way she engaged the crowd – brilliant.”

Read the full interview in the new Hot Press, out now.