FORMER ENGLAND CAPTAIN Lewis Moody believes Brian O’Driscoll shouldn’t start for the Lions, arguing that he hasn’t done enough in recent times to warrant a place in the side.
O’Driscoll has had a mixed year, getting sin-binned in Ireland’s disappointing final Six Nations game against Italy and struggling with injury on occasion, while also helping Leinster to win both the Amlin Cup and the RaboDirect Pro12.
He added that the management were unlikely to pick O’Driscoll to start the first test, telling reporters:
“The Lions have not played a game yet, I might be wrong. I would love him to play, and he is such a legend, one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, and a mesmerising player – but at the moment he would miss out through lack of form.”
He added: “There is no place for sentiment – it’s all about winning. Which Lions tours are memorable? Only the ones which were successful. Winning is all that matters. You pick the guys – whether they have played one match or 100 Tests for their country – who are in the best form at that moment to deliver what needs to be done to get that Test series win.
“For me now the centre partnership would be Roberts and Manu Tuilagi, with the Welsh back three (Alex Cuthbert and George North on the wings with Leigh Halfpenny at full-back) and Jonny Sexton at No 10 and Phillips at scrum-half. Ben Youngs has a chance at scrum-half.”
The ex-British and Irish Lion has also claimed Jamie Heaslip may be in contention to start, explaining how he “has come into some form in the past few weeks with Leinster, especially in the Amlin Cup. He could suddenly come alive on the tour again like he did in 2009. I know from personal experience that the burden of captaining your country weighs on you.”
As a Limerick man, many congratulations to Clare, an absolute all time classic All Ireland final, Clare suffered over the last few years but kept coming back, fair play. Tony Kelly was a wizard at times, Shane O Donnell too.
Tough luck Cork, lit up the championship.
GAA please extend the hurling championship season, give it a little room to breathe, this match should have been replayed after 70 minutes. Flogging these warrior men. Championship run off over 14 weeks…. absolute madness.
@Michael Kennedy: Absolutely correct on the need to show better respect to the warriors on that pitch today – I would say that there should have been a replay after 70 mins as a disappointed Corkman – but it was one of the greatest games I’ve ever been lucky enough to be at – and I’ve been going to Cork games for over 40 years. Congrats to Clare, great performance today – and thanks to those Cork players and management for a brilliant year – every Cork fan is proud of the performance today and throughout the year. Well done to Pat Ryan for not getting involved in nit picking with the referee’s calls, touch of class. One more year please Hoggy…..
A special, special player. The greats turn up on the biggest days and he put on a show. Some of the scores were out of this world.
I want to thank Ray Ridge for picking Cork. Which made me run out to the bookie and bet Clare. Well done Ray you never disappoint
Shane o Donnell was like a ferret or something today, cork couldn’t get a hold on him, brilliant final today, the referee was good today because normally he’s awful fool for blowing his whistle. How he missed that last free I’ll never know, Liam is heading for Ennis fair play Clare
Those 40 odd lads should never have been asked to play another 20 minutes!