Brian O'Driscoll is just the man to inspire grand finale

IN Sam Warburton's absence, the Irishman has all the attributes necessary to lead the Lions in the deciding international.

130629 Brian O'Driscoll

IN Sam Warburton's absence, the Irishman has all the attributes necessary to lead the Lions in the deciding international

BRIAN O'Driscoll's public presence on his fourth and final Lions tour has not been as significant as one might have expected. But one should not think that his influence as a senior player behind the scenes has been anything less than profound.

He has made clear how much he has enjoyed being out of the limelight, happy to chip in with his "tuppence worth", as he described it, as and when it has been deemed appropriate without undermining Sam Warburton.

Warburton bowed to the inevitable yesterday when a significant hamstring tear to his left leg removed him from the final equation. A scan in Melbourne confirmed what was probably obvious to Warburton and everyone else from the moment he crumpled to the turf of the Etihad Stadium.

"It is incredibly disappointing," Warburton said. "I am confident that the boys can finish the job off and secure the series win."

Warburton's tour has been a slow burn, but in Melbourne he was outstanding. His loss will be keenly felt and will guarantee that Warren Gatland, the Lions head coach, will agonise over selection. In different circumstances, O'Driscoll's position might have been in doubt.

In Australia, O'Driscoll's has been a voice of experience and reason for the majority of the squad, for whom living with the Lions is a new experience. But, with Warburton and Paul O'Connell counted out of the third international in Sydney on Saturday, suddenly the spotlight is squarely on O'Driscoll.

It is impossible to think that Gatland would look beyond O'Driscoll to lead the side. He may be 34 and perhaps no longer at the height of his powers, but in the situation in which the Lions find themselves, there is no better candidate.

If Gatland does the obvious, do not be surprised if the man from Dublin who craves a Lions series victory proves to be the man of the hour. The only other possibility would be Alun Wyn Jones, but Gatland made clear in Hong Kong that would not be an option that he cares to pursue.

Warburton's injury may have spared Gatland one of the toughest decisions of his coaching career. Given O'Driscoll's patchy form, would he have picked him for the showdown or, with Jamie Roberts expected to be fit, pair the Welshman with Jonathan Davies, his compatriot? That would allow Davies to play in his favoured position at outside centre.

Speaking in Noosa yesterday, O'Driscoll looked a trifle careworn as if he, too, is finding the situation draining. O'Driscoll recognises that Gatland has shown his willingness to make tough selectorial decisions and, while he is not blind to reality, he will not allow himself to be wound up about it.

"I won't go chewing my nails off thinking about it," he said. "I will go with the flow like everyone else. Hopefully, I will be included in that team.

"When you have lost a game, every place is up for scrutiny, at least as to whether the person deserves to be in the jersey again. It is the coach's perogative to identify what the team that goes out on the weekend is capable of. It's getting the balance of combinations with guys that haven't played too much rugby or guys that are flagging a bit."

In 2001, the Lions and O'Driscoll were in a similar position. There, though, the comparisons end. Then, Graham Henry insisted on flogging the players in training. This time, Gatland has given them a couple of days off to relax and recuperate.

"There is a lot in the bank, so just try to get the detail right and then save the energy for the pitch," O'Driscoll said. "I don't think there is a huge amount we are going to learn about ourselves or the opposition at this stage.

"People talk about the momentum going with the team that wins the second Test, and I would have agreed with it in 2001 because it was a comfortable victory they [Australia] had. But the way the two games have gone, with two points in the first and one point in the second, just shows how tight it is.

"One more 80 minutes this season is all that is asked of everyone in the squad," he said. "The 80 minutes of their lives."

He cited an analogy drawn by Jonathan Sexton that he felt best summed up how the Lions are placed. "On the plane (from Melbourne), he said it's rare after a cup final that you get the chance to relive a cup final and put right the things you did wrong. "

Do not be surprised if O'Driscoll makes the most of that second chance.

The Times