New Zealand
Cheap shot ended my tour says O'Driscoll
By Greg Stutchbury
Jun 26, 2005, 09:20

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (Reuters) - Injured British and Irish Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll said he was bitterly disappointed for his tour to end with a dislocated shoulder he felt had come from an illegal tackle.

After reviewing video evidence the Lions made a complaint to the independent citing commissioner Willem Venter about the tackle by All Blacks' captain Tana Umaga and hooker Keven Mealamu in the second minute of the 21-3 loss in Christchurch on Saturday, although the complaint was rejected.

"I'm absolutely gutted that my tour is over," a dejected O'Driscoll said at a news conference on Sunday. "There is a huge element of frustration and anger at the way it happened.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that it was some sort of spear tackle."

O'Driscoll, whose arm was in a sling on Sunday after it took 25 minutes to put the shoulder back in place, stopped short of saying he thought he had been deliberately targeted, though his apparent frustration was clearly evident.

"You have now way of knowing that," he added when asked whether he thought it was deliberate. "I know it's a tough sport but after a minute and 17 seconds you can't but feel a little bit aggrieved that something like that happens.

"I've been on the receiving end before, but felt it was completely unnecessary and beyond the rules and regulations of the game.

"It disappoints me that modern day television had umpteen different camera angles but I find it just a little bizarre that there was not just one camera angle that had conclusive evidence that there was a lot more malice in it than has been said from the All Blacks' camp.

O'Driscoll, who had said earlier that he felt the tackle was a "cheap shot" added the injury could have been much worse.

"It could have been a lot more serious. It was one of those moments when I could see what was happening and I knew that I was in trouble from the moment I was up in the air.

"So it was a matter of getting my head out of the way so that wasn't the part of the body that took the impact.

"You look back and are hugely disappointed at the shoulder dislocation but in hindsight it could have been much worse. I could have gone down on my head."

O'Driscoll said he had a clear recollection of the incident.

"Leon MacDonald took the ball into contact. I made some sort of go at the ball but didn't get it.

"A ruck formed and I managed to fight my way through the middle of the ruck.

"I was pushing Jerry Collins because he was the last man to try to disturb the scrumhalf but then two guys came around, picked a leg up each and as I was in the air I got turned and they pretty much finished off the tackle instead by dropping me.

"There was force there."

O'Driscoll said he was disappointed with the lack of reaction from the All Blacks camp to the injury and also of Umaga, who had not said anything as he was being carried off.

"As I was being stretchered off I just felt would have been common courtesy between captains whether he had been involved or not. I don't know if that showed any element of guilt or not."

O'Driscoll said he was still frustrated the injury had ended his tour.

"There were times after the game I found it had to keep the tears back.

"There were a lot of emotions. Even now it's difficult to talk about it but I think it'll sink in a in a few days that I got to captain the Lions for just over a minute.

" I suppose I should be thankful it was a minute and not nothing at all.

"It's disappointing for me and my family who came over yesterday, but life is such with sport.

"I'll recover from this and move on and become a better player."


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