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Lions 2013: Keith Wood stands by O'Driscoll comments

Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugbycomments406

Brian O'Driscoll and Warren Gatland during the 2013 Lions tour

Former British and Irish Lions hooker Keith Wood has stood by his criticism of Warren Gatland's handling of the team in Australia.

Wood called Gatland's decision to drop former Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll for the third Test against the Wallabies in July "a terrible mistake".

Without the Ireland centre, the Lions won the Test 41-16, and the series 2-1.

But asked if he regretted the strength of his Gatland criticism, Wood replied: "I don't, no."

O'Driscoll, 34, was widely expected to be named captain after Wales flanker Sam Warburton tore a hamstring during the second Test in Melbourne on 29 June. Instead, Gatland omitted him from the squad.

Wood - who played on two Lions tours, to South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001, as well as winning 58 Ireland caps between 1994 and 2003 - said ahead of the third Test that Gatland's decision had left him "totally at a loss".

Fellow former Ireland international Willie John McBride - who captained the victorious 1974 Lions tour to South Africa - also questioned the selection made by Gatland, who picked 10 Welshmen in his starting line-up in Sydney.

The New Zealander has returned to his job as Wales coach following the Lions tour.

Wood accepted the Lions produced a memorable display in the third Test, but felt such a performance could have been delivered in the opening two encounters against the Wallabies - and still believes that leaving out O'Driscoll was a mistake.

He said: "I was glad to see the Lions win at the end, absolutely.

"And I thought it could have been a bit more exciting.

"I thought there could have been a bit more flair, a bit more of a blend of the four teams.

"Someone asked me earlier on: 'Was he [Gatland] vindicated?' I think [he was] vindicated to the point that Lions won a Test series.

Keith Wood and then-Ireland coach Warren Gatland in 1999
Keith Wood and then-Ireland coach Warren Gatland in 1999

"But in some way I think the Lions lost a little bit in the summer because I didn't think it was a blend of four teams."

Wood - who played for Gatland when the New Zealander coached Ireland between 1998 and 2001 - says he has "not even vaguely" criticised the selection of 15 Welsh players for the tour.

"I've never said there were too many Welsh players on the team. That wasn't the point," said Wood.

And he says O'Driscoll came out of the controversy "fantastically well".

Wood added: "My view still is that the best option was to have him on the squad as a leader, as everything else in it.

"The fact that he wasn't needed on the day doesn't actually change that view.

"It's fantastic [that we won] and we did need to win and I argue against myself a little bit in relation to that."

Wood believes that Wales will go into the 2014 Six Nations as "overwhelming favourites", having won the 2013 tournament, then provided the bulk of the Lions tour party.

He added: "It's up to everybody else to continue telling them that and to see if they can knock them [Wales] off the perch a bit."

But he says England's 2003 World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward tipping Wales as winners of the 2015 tournamentexternal-link in England is "a tad premature".

"There's plenty of rugby to be played before then," said Wood.

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406 comments

  • Comment posted by chrisrb2, at 16:23 20 Aug 2013

    Keith Wood is losing the plot, and a lot of credibility. His comment about the blend of 4 teams is nonsense.You pick the best team on the day to win the match, and that meant Davies and Roberts in the third test.
    Brian O'Driscol has been a top player and is a great guy, but no-one is entitled to automatic selection, the interests of the team comes first.

  • Comment posted by User0874216327, at 16:36 20 Aug 2013

    Jonathan Davies was the stand out centre of the whole tour. Every tour has a few young players who emerge, and he was one, along with Halfpenny, Youngs, and Corbisiero. If you at Gatland's selection strategy as a whole he clearly saw freshness and youthful vitality as a key factor in the tour as a whole. BOD had survived two full on Tests, and he was due a break. That's all it was. The right call.

  • Comment posted by Welsh Dragon, at 19:20 20 Aug 2013

    Reading Wood's comments, it's obvious he's unable to tame his over-inflated ego.

    He made a big play of the BOD 'issue', clearly hoping for a thumping loss for the B&ILs in the 3rd test. Didn't work out. But instead of manning up and admitting he got it very very wrong, he opts to twist and turn in an effort to 'prove' he was right all along.

    That's not the mark of a man.

    Sad. Very very sad.

  • Comment posted by Me again, at 19:10 20 Aug 2013

    I have spoken to friends who were in Australia at the time. Apparently there was an aggressive anti-Welsh attitude at times from the Irish, which is a poor show really. The English and Irish media were also disgraceful over here in their condemnation of Gatland. And even true Lions greats such as McBride, Woods etc overreacted due to sentimentality. Time to accept Gats was right and then move on.

  • Comment posted by GerryCopsey, at 23:03 20 Aug 2013

    There's only one thing worse than being proved horribly, totally wrong - and that's refusing to admit it when everyone else knows you have opened your mouth and jumped in with both feet.
    K Wood - you look more silly than you can imagine.......

  • Comment posted by Gaga, at 18:32 20 Aug 2013

    What is he talking about? If Brian O'Driscoll had been English, Scottish or God forbid Welsh, you would not have heard a squeak out of Keith Wood.

  • Comment posted by Mr_Wood, at 17:59 20 Aug 2013

    For those who support his claim there should have been "a bit more of a blend of the four teams" - what does this mean? Picking a lesser player over a better one to make sure his nation is equally well represented? Sounds like a minefield. Best option plays, simple

  • Comment posted by jon, at 15:53 20 Aug 2013

    BOD was a great player up to about 2 years ago..since then he's simply lost the pace that made him great. His body is falling apart as well so defensively he's not up to the modern game.....his time has gone, thats it

    gats was pilloried for dropping him, and look what happened.... no sentiment in the modern game its about winning

    move on woods

  • Comment posted by RMPTaff, at 09:23 21 Aug 2013

    Keith Wood was a sound player and is a respected pundit but his stance over the omission of his countryman has made him look decidedly foolish in the wake of the final Test result.
    To continue to say WG got it wrong now makes it look like a major case of sour grapes.
    A bigger man would have held his hands up and admitted their assessment was flawed and congratulated the coach.
    Never mind.

  • Comment posted by User0723408822, at 15:43 20 Aug 2013

    Gatland made a decision that he was entitled to make by virtue of his role. Had he selected O'Driscoll,and the Test lost,someone would have asked why he picked him. He was caught between a rock and you know where.
    Great player that he is ,O'Driscoll is coming to the end of his days,and the World has to move on.
    As regards the pundits,well,they know what they can do.

  • Comment posted by Ymaohyd, at 19:15 20 Aug 2013

    It's still galling to see such anti-Welsh sentiment running through all media. If this was England or Ireland taking 15 of their players on tour after recent back-2-back Six Nations and almost making a World Cup final, then who would argue?

    No one would argue, but because it Wales, we should know our place and accept it and the resulting abuse.

    ...er...there's a word for that you know.

  • Comment posted by matt_cymru1310, at 08:38 21 Aug 2013

    It amazes me how many people still are saying it was 'disrespectful' to not have BOD on the bench!! Why?? Why does he have a DEVINE right to get a place in the match22!!Is he still gonna be playing in his 70's for Ireland if he never retires?! Infact - you are all being disrespectful to the matchday 22, and the 3 Centre's in particular, who came out & did the job - EMPHATICALLY!!! GROW UP WOOD!!

  • Comment posted by User0082241670, at 22:50 20 Aug 2013

    The Wallabies were kept in the series by referees, esp Pollock. The Lions scrum was totally dominant and the lions would have won 3-0 with proper refs.

    All Blacks would not grind that Lions team to dust, it would be a 50-50 series depending on injuries etc.

    If England can beat the All Blacks then the Lions could, end of.... .

    Gatland was right to drop O'Driscoll for Davies...

  • Comment posted by RMPTaff, at 17:40 21 Aug 2013

    @Nick Coyle #303

    C'mon, Austin Healy is a well balanced indivivual.

    He has a massive chip on BOTH shoulders.

  • Comment posted by User0594744359, at 16:15 20 Aug 2013

    Keith says that there should have been more of a mix............problem with Nh rugby! Gatland picks on form, he's renowned for it like most SH coaches.
    Sour grapes from Keith just because his fav didn't make the cut.

  • Comment posted by Col, at 16:22 20 Aug 2013

    On 11
    What a pointless collection of statements- listed to make them look impressive!
    BOD was playing in the first two Tests and this is, apparently, was when more flair could have been shown. Brian was trying too hard and Gats made a gutsy decision. You and Keith should do the same thing and move on. That seems to be the consensus of comments and they are right. Enjoy your sport and lighten up!

  • Comment posted by stoveboy, at 16:16 20 Aug 2013

    I was in Ireland for a wedding last month and the Irish are still banging on about, Woods is not alone some of the Irish players are still talking it up. If you go to Ireland the lions winning the series is not the story. BOD is. Partisan to say the least. Long live Jonathan Davies

  • Comment posted by James, at 16:30 21 Aug 2013

    jamesmathew you really are boring and a liar, grow up

  • Comment posted by User0756158942, at 16:21 21 Aug 2013

    Keith Wood is an embarressment. It's time for him to let go and move on. Gatland proved that he knows far more about rugby than KW. Gats did a great job for the Lions and rugby viewing public. Woods, well time for him to retire as a pundit. BOD was dignified in his acceptance of being dropped for the third test. No one player is bigger than the team.

  • Comment posted by User0464208604, at 16:47 21 Aug 2013

    @293, lets discuss this, give me reasons why you think it is the worst tour when compared to the others and I will be happy to shoot your argument down, but at least then it would be a discussion rather than a trolling statement meant to get a rise out of people, so please,... discuss the previous tours with me and why this one is the worst,.. assuming you have actually seen the previous tours,..

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