“Nobody is talking about him.”
Brian O’Driscoll must not have caught up on the most recent episode of The Hard Yards rugby podcast!
The former Ireland and British & Irish Lions captain declared, as recently as last week, that he was not sure if Warren Gatland would go with a bolter [outsider] selection for this summer’s tour to New Zealand. He suggested Sale Sharks winger Denny Solomona as an outside punt but last weekend’s Champions Cup action has given him food for thought.
He caught up on Munster’s 41-16 victory over Toulouse and couldn’t help but be impressed with Ireland lock Donnacha Ryan. O’Driscoll told BBC Five Live’s Rugby Union Weekly:
“I’m thinking there might be a one now and with the wealth of quality in the second row, no-one has mentioned Donnacha Ryan as a possible bolter.
“I feel he could do a brilliant job for the Lions. He’s never going to make the Test matches, I don’t think, such is the calibre of the other second rows but I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the tour.
“He’s a really good guy, very popular amongst his peers. He’s the type of the guy you want in the trenches and when you have to roll your sleeves up.”
We would not be so quick to rule Ryan out of the Test side. After all, he did start at lock in the 40-29 win over the All Blacks in Chicago and he is having the season of his life.
One man that has been talking about Ryan as long as people will listen is Ronan O’Gara. The Racing 92 coach, and former Munster No.10 told The Hard Yards:
“They’ve such hunger, and dog, and work-rate in them, and completely led by a brilliant Donnacha Ryan. At the minute he is playing absolutely great stuff.”
As for another man O’Driscoll listed as an outside chance, Sean O’Brien is now looking in better shape after going ‘two nil up’ in his personal battle with Wasps and England flanker James Haskell.
“The reality is Sean was the 7 four years ago when they smashed Australia to win the series,” said O’Driscoll.
“Warren Gatland will remember that and he knows what he can do.”
