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O'Driscoll and co aren't out yet.
The 2007 World Cup in France has reached boiling point, with the quarter-final berths to be filled this weekend.
It is a big weekend for the 'home' nations as defeat for England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland would mean elimination.
Miles Harrison will clock up some miles covering the big matches this weekend in the commentary box, but before he set off around the grounds, he gave us his thoughts.
England v Tonga:
England have some form after the victory over Samoa, and that is a step down the line. It was not a performance to get carried away with, but it has given them something to build on, and that is something you couldn't have said after the South Africa defeat the previous weekend.
Considering how England's fans in Paris felt post the Springbok decimation, their reaction in Nantes was unbelievable. It was a major boost to the team, who responded.
If that atmosphere can be created again at the Parc des Princes against the Tongans, and it is an atmospheric stadium, England can go into the game thinking they are on the back of something and that they have a chance to put the smile back on those faces. We haven't seen that for a while.
The last time England played Tonga in the World Cup they put 110 points on them at Twickenham, but that was eight years ago. Things have changed for England and Tonga - that much has been proved at this World Cup.
While not wanting to take anything away from Tonga, they should have been out of the game against South Africa with half an hour agone. But Andre Pretorius missed kick after kick and the Boks missed numerous try-scoring opportunities.
Having said that, England won't find too much comfort from the way Tonga came back against South Africa's stars at the end of the game. It showed unbelievable spirit and an ability to go for 80 minutes, something which they were unable to do in previous World Cups.
The final point is that they have a wonderfully balanced and high-class back row in Hale T Pole, Nili Latu and Finau Maka, so it will be a great contest at breakdown on Friday night.
I expect England to win. How they win will determine how well placed they are when they come to face Australia in Marseille, but the key thing is to get through and build on a level of performance.
Wales v Fiji
Wales, who weren't quite in England's mire, will have taken confidence from the points scored against Japan. That got them moving in the right direction following their failure to beat Australia.
Those last 15 minutes against Australia were better than anything we have seen from England - until Samoa - and so I feel they are closer to where they want to be.
Fiji have the capability behind the scrum to worry any side in the world - those backs can be a major threat on their day - but I don't think they quite have the forward game to cause an upset.
Getting Stephen Jones and James Hook on the field together is the right call for the Welsh selection. They are two really good, top-class players.
I always thought Wales would be destined to play South Africa in the quarter-final of this World Cup. If they have momentum and belief in the way they can play then they can scare any team, South Africa included.
Like England the important thing for Wales is to win but, again, the manner of victory will set them up for their quarter-final.
Wales must take nothing for granted, though. The performance of the underdog has been the most refreshing aspect of this World Cup and so Wales will be wary.
Scotland v Italy
Against Portugal, in the first 15 to 20 minutes, Italy could and should have put them away in a big way. There were so many half-chances which should have been converted into tries, and I just thought: 'this is a side that isn't quite where it needs to be to win big matches'.
As the game went on they struggled more and more. I have been delighted to see Portugal and everything they have given to the World Cup, but they are still Portugal and Italy did not put them to the sword in the way they should have. Italy are there for the taking and Scotland should believe that.
There might be a case for suggesting that Italy have been looking at this game, and this game alone, as the big match in their World Cup campaign. But, as with Ireland against Argentina on Sunday, they appear to be approaching this match with their game in disarray.
Scotland should believe in themselves. I understood Frank Hadden's decision to rest players against New Zealand. We will only know if it was the right decision after Saturday's game, but they couldn't have risked going into this match with any injuries.
This team will have trained and geared up for this match with some purpose. Portugal and Romania were dealt with and, come Saturday, I think Hadden and Scotland will be proved to have made right call.
I see Scotland in the quarter-finals and I like look of this team. I liked the look of them pre-World Cup, even when they had a spell or two when they couldn't live with South Africa.
The conditioning in the first-choice pack looks good, and in the back-line there are players on top of their game, such as Rory Lamont, Simon Webster, Chris Paterson with his goal-kicking and Mike Blair.
There are lots of reasons why they should win this game but one big one why they might not: Italian fervour.
The loss of Marco Bortolami is massive, but this has been the one game they have been thinking about for a long time and, although they have been misfiring, they will have been zeroing in on a team they have beaten in the past.
Argentina v Ireland
If Argentina win against Ireland they will top their group - and they would deserve to be there.
There is no shortage of motivation for this Argentina side. They have an extra edge and we know what it is: they feel they are neglected in world competitions, that no-one is listening to their cries, and that sense of grievance will be immeasurable for them as a squad this week.
It was a turn-up that they beat the hosts but not a massive surprise. Since the opening night they have continued to do what they needed to do, which was to gather bonus points in their quest for a spot in the last eight.
Currently the Pumas are ranked four in the world, which means they should be semi-finalists, but I am not sure they are quite there yet on a week-in, week-out basis. That is a lofty world ranking for them, although their recent record is hard to argue with.
What they don't have are big wins against New Zealand or South Africa on their record, which is why you think that the semi-final is as far as they will go. But they would take that, and they are a breath of fresh air in their approach. All power to them.
I don't see the Argentina side as one that Ireland, given normal form, should fear. But that is the problem - normal form.
It seems that everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for Ireland, including the recent injury to Simon Best. I can only hope he will be well again very soon.
This is it for these players who, as a group, have promised so much. Some of them will be involved in future Irish teams but, as a group, changes will be made if they lose on Sunday. Some could well find that this is the end of their international careers.
Only Denis Hickie retires at this point, but coach Eddie O'Sullivan will have to ask if he needs to build again and that might mean stalling or ending some players' careers.
There will be questions, too, for O'Sullivan. There has been a lot criticism of within Ireland of the way this campaign has gone, but he has signed a new deal, so if they decide to change the coach it will cost.
At the moment, that is not the issue. Ireland can stay in World Cup with the right result, and that result is a bonus-point win while denying Argentina a losing bonus point. Ireland's job, then, is to perform the kind of miracle Munster pulled off against Gloucester in the Heineken Cup.
If this were a straight head-to-head it would be simpler, but they really do need it all. And when I look at those Irish backs, at what Leinster have done in Toulouse in the past and how this Ireland team can play, it is beyond the realms of possibility.
They scored try after try against Italy and Brian O'Driscoll has managed a hat-trick in Paris before, so they the have ability to produce four tries in a match.
This World Cup has been abnormal for Ireland and they have one last chance to work out why. 'We will die trying', says O'Driscoll. We will see.
There won't be many predicting Ireland can do this, but I don't think their chances are as slim as people make out. The odds are against it, but there issuch a thing as putting pressure on the opposition and if Ireland get a couple of early tries, all of a sudden it will be Argentina who will be feeling nervous.
