BRIAN O’DRISCOLL WOULD be forgiven if he had a quiet word in the ear of the Lions media managers and asked to be kept away from the TV cameras over the next seven days.
The centre faced questions about swansongs and finales every time he faced the cameras for Leinster and Ireland this year. He would dearly love to focus on securing his first Lions series win rather than reminiscing on his 12 years, and four tours, in red.
O’Driscoll is long way away from the player he was in 2001 when his engine purred for 80 minutes and he turned defensive chinks into wonder tries. He has evolved his game to act as an additional loose forward when needed but his tactics of resting his knees on players at the breakdown are being punished in the southern hemisphere.
The outside centre offered little in attack today and, not for the first time, settled on making his impact by delivering huge defensive hits [Adam Ashley Cooper] and making a heap of tackles [14, second only to Mako Vunipola]. When he did try to get his side going in the second half, it often left the Lions on the back foot.
He tried to replicate his delayed pass to Simon Zebo – against Wales in the Six Nations – as George North charged up the left wing and pleaded to be set free. Israel Folau intercepted and took off, beating three red jerseys in the process and moved the play from one 22 to the next. Five minutes later, Lions had an advantage but O’Driscoll chose the kick chase. A moment before it left his boot referee Craig Joubert called advantage over and the Wallabies were able to set up another pounding phase of attacks.
O’Driscoll and Ashley-Cooper fight for possession. (©INPHO/Billy Stickland)
His midfield partner Jonathan Davies had a fine game but was guilty of targeting James O’Connor when Ashley Cooper was the man he should have been on. O’Driscoll was pointing at Davies to cover the Wallabies’ 13 but his failure could cost him a starting spot next week.
Gatland has demonstrated, by dropping Alex Cuthbert and Mike Phillips, that he will not allow sentiment to get in the way. Neither O’Driscoll or Davies are guaranteed a start next week. With back-up outhalf Owen Farrell able to cover the midfield off the bench, O’Driscoll would then struggle to displace Cuthbert, an unused sub today, on the replacements bench.
Jamie Roberts, if he proves his fitness midweek, would be expected to come straight back in at 12. His sheer presence in the backline would be a major distraction for the Wallaby defence. Manu Tuilagi looked impressive in his return to action against the Melbourne Rebels and could be a direct answer to Australia’s Folau when it comes to having a timebomb in the backline.
Sam Warburton’s hamstring injury would make such speculation about a premature end to O’Driscoll’s Lions career a moot point. With Paul O’Connell already ruled out and Warburton forced to watch from the sidelines, it would surely fall to the legendary 13 to get lead the Lions and expend every last ounce of energy he has for the victory. One last time.
Who should Warren Gatland start as his 12 & 13 combination next week?
