IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne could be the key ingredient to Ireland winning the chance to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
That was the view of bid ambassador Brian O'Driscoll on Friday night's Off the Ball, when speaking about the IRFU presentation to World Rugby earlier this week, as the look to host the World Cup for the first time.
Browne has worked within the IRFU for over two decades, and has been Chief Executive since 1998. O'Driscoll could not get over his level of detail in London when dealing with the World Rugby delegates.
There were some questions and answers which Philip Browne took a lot of those himself. He was really top class. Top class.
His knowledge of stats and all the detail that he needed to know. It banged of someone who had done an insane amount of research. He knew exactly what he had to deliver.
It wasn't just churning out nonsense behind it. He was very specific with hitting targets that they were looking for.
Despite having had to deal with presenting to World Rugby earlier this week, O'Driscoll admitted that Browne's job was far from over. Along with Kevin Potts, Browne made the trip to Argentina on Thursday in a bid to try and gain votes from the South American giants.
I can't speak highly enough of Philip Browne [at the presentations]. I thought he killed it.
While O'Driscoll was added to the bid team in an ambassadorial role to help the Ireland 2023 cause, it looks like Browne's efforts could be key to the cause.
