Two words keep cropping up when Sean O’Brien’s name is mentioned as a 2017 Lion.
Beast. Animal.
‘The Tullow Tank’ had an up and down Six Nations but the highs were jaw-dropping and invigorating. He was our best player on the pitch at Murrayfield and hounded England at the Aviva Stadium. Italy are Italy but Wales and France had a tight eye on him.
He needed a big game for Leinster when they faced Wasps in the Champions Cup quarter final and he delivered emphatically. Freed up as a strike runner for many attacks, O’Brien made hay but he revelled in the muck and bullets scrapping too.
On the latest episode of The Hard Yards [listen below] Ronan O’Gara and Fionn Carr not only advocated for O’Brien making the Lions squad, they also stuck him in as starting openside. Warren Gatland, according to our sources, is coming around to that way of thinking.
https://soundcloud.com/thehardyardssportsjoe/episode-11-lions-special-our-starting-xv-the-irish-maybes-and-inside-gatlands-mind
When selecting him at No.7 in his Lions team, Carr said, “Sean O’Brien is an animal and he would be a great addition [to the back row] with CJ Stander and Billy Vunipola. You’ve three serious ball carriers there and three guys that could do damage to New Zealand.”
While Carr also talked up Wales’ Justin Tipuric as an openside option, O’Gara was in no doubts. He declared:
“I went with CJ, Sean O’Brien and Billy Vunipola as you’d get three absolute animals in the back row.”
O’Gara, Carr and Kevin McLaughlin, a former Leinster and Ireland teammate of O’Brien, all have the Carlow man in their squads.
Rugby writers in England, Scotland and Wales are all coming around to O’Brien being a lock for the Lions squad. Paul Williams of Rugby World feels Sam Warburton is the favourite for the No.7 jersey but has O’Brien in is squad.
The Teleraph’s Giles Mole described O’Brien as ‘an absolute beast of a player’ and the Irishman is popping up in predicted squads far and wide.
All that would not stand for much come Wednesday morning if O’Brien’s name does not feature in the final squad. However, from what we are hearing from those close to the Lions, O’Brien will be on that plane and he will make his second tour with the home nations selection.
Gatland is still thought to be leaning towards Warburton as is starting openside but O’Brien will be given a chance to prove himself in the June 7 game against Auckland Blues at Eden Park.
GATLAND’S PREFERRED BACK ROW: Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton, Billy Vunipola. (CJ Stander as first reserve)
