‘Glad I’m retired’: O’Driscoll lavishes reward on Suaalii, problems Wallabies caution forward of Lions squad naming

Underestimate the Wallabies at your peril. That’s the caution from rugby icon Brian O’Driscoll to the British and Irish Lions, announcing it’s a “dangerous” thought to put in writing the Wallabies off forward of this 12 months’s showpiece excursion.

“The Wallabies will be very, very dangerous,” O’Driscoll informed The Roar. “I’m old enough to realise that, particularly with Joe [Schmidt] there.

“Australia are also a very proud nation, so there’s no rolling over – and even when they’re not at their best, they can still always turn it on and deliver a big performance.

“We saw enough really good stuff in the Autumn Nation Series for us to go, ‘OK, great.’ It would make for a brilliant tour if Australia won the first Test and put it to the Lions. That would be the ultimate, because you’d really have to go and earn it.

“But I think it’ll be competitive. I absolutely do. I don’t think there’ll be any foregone conclusion stuff. Not at all. Not with Joe at the helm, not with the quality of some of the players in that Aussie team.

“You know that they’ll deliver it on the big stage. It’s just the Aussie way.”

In explicit, O’Driscoll – one of the most biggest outdoor centres the arena has observed – lavished reward on code-hopper Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

The Irish nice even stated he was once happy he had retired as a result of the bodily and athletic risk that the one-match State of Origin again posed.

“He was very good against Ireland in November, obviously very good against England, and that aerial game was wild,” O’Driscoll stated.

“He is quite like that rangy, Israel Foalu-type athlete, but packs a serious punch.

“I obviously saw that red card in the Origin as well. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so glad I’m retired.’

“When you have that level of athleticism, it’s hard not to find yourself applauding moments.

“That chip catch play against England, not many players have that in their locker. So when you’re doing that in your first game for your country, it was his debut too, you just think, ‘Wow.’

“When you get some air miles, and you get some experience, how good is this guy going to be?”

However, O’Driscoll did assume Suaalii could be examined in opposition to the Lions, specifically if selected at outdoor centre – the position he crammed right through the Wallabies’ finish of 12 months excursion.

“The really tricky part is defending at 13 and being able to read front door and out the back,” he stated.

“I think because he’s fast and he’s so athletic, he has that capacity to maybe stay a little bit longer on the short runner, but then still have the capacity to get out.”

Adding to the trouble of the transfer is Suaalii has predominantly performed at fullback for the Waratahs in his first season since switching from the NRL.

Brian O’Driscoll in motion in opposition to the Wallabies within the 3rd Test in Sydney, 2001. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wilson/Allsport

The Lions will identify their traveling birthday party on Thursday evening, with trainer Andy Farrell to announce the squad in London.

Just who makes the squad continues to be observed, with Farrell having to make a choice his avid gamers from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Attention is especially occupied with which playmakers Farrell will select, along with his son, Owen, a contender to make the commute in spite of an injury-disrupted maiden season at Racing within the French Top 14. But given the embarrassment of riches within the place, together with Marcus and Fin Smith, Finn Russell and emerging Ireland playmaker Sam Prendergast, it’s no foregone conclusion that Farrell shall be picked.

The variety balancing act has been made harder by way of the top of Ireland’s dominance, having been smashed by way of France in Dublin in a defeat that cruelled their hopes of profitable a 3rd instantly Six Nations crown.

Adding to the prospective awkward variety case is that England snagged a overdue bonus level in Dublin, which supposed Steve Borthwick’s males completed 2nd at the standings.

O’Driscoll stated the reality Ireland had completed 3rd had made it politically tougher for Farrell to have a more potent greener tinge to his squad.

Concerns of an Irish drop-off have been compounded over the weekend because the Irish-heavy Leinster have been disappointed by way of Northampton within the Champions Cup semi-final. The loss was once made worse by way of the harm to Irish captain Caelan Doris’ to a shoulder harm.

“I would say it has changed the complexion of the squad,” O’Driscoll stated.

“You probably could have been looking at 18 or 19 Irish guys if you’d won the championship, I think that’s going to reduce the numbers down 1746607683.

“I think it’ll still be heavily Irish-led, because coaches work on muscle memory. The players have been there and done it for them, and performed it, delivered, and a lot of that Irish team, the guts of it will have done that.

“So, yeah, I think the 50-50 calls, he’ll probably still lean on the Irish component, but you might see [Maro] Itoje as captain. Maybe that will take a little bit of the pressure off (with selection). Obviously, he’s done a good job with England. He’s a guaranteed starter.

“There are, of course, politics involved. It’s four teams. So you’ve got to play that game a little bit too, and maybe that’s his route into it.”

Brian O’Driscoll farewells the gang following the British & Irish Lions’ 3rd Test triumph at ANZ Stadium on July 6, 2013 in Sydney. (Photo by way of David Rogers/Getty Images)

The 2005 Lions captain stated he expected the squad could be kind of as robust as the one who beat the Wallabies in 2013.

“I think it’ll be close. Ironically, I think our squad in ‘01 was much better than the squad in ‘13, but they didn’t win the series,” O’Driscoll stated.

“You know, we should have won that series in ‘01. It was a really good squad in ‘01. 

“There’s very few Mickey Mouse Lions squads. I’d say it’s very close to the 13 squad, in truth. Very close.”

O’Driscoll, who went on 4 Lions excursions, added that he was once nonetheless disillusioned that he didn’t get the send-off he sought after in 2013, having neglected variety within the 3rd Test after Warren Gatland decided on Welsh centre Jonathan Davis over him.

“I’m ultimately disappointed of not being involved, but relieved that we did win the series, of course,” he stated.

“The reality is, if you don’t put the kit on, you don’t feel the same sense of the victory, and that’s the reality of it.

“But I would be more relieved to have sat in the stand and for us to have won the series, for me to have been in the team and not won the series, put it that way. That’s obviously a no-brainer. And it is what it is, you don’t control your own destiny, exiting the game or exiting certain teams. You’re at the behest of other coaches and other decision-makers, and that’s just the reality of it.

“But, yeah, I certainly aren’t a grudge-holder. I think initially, you’re wounded, and it’s hard not to take it personally, but you get over it, like all things.”