O'Driscoll lauds Lions rival

Fresh from leading Leinster to the Magners League title, Brian O¿Driscoll has declared that he won't give up the Lions captaincy without a fight.

Fresh from leading Leinster to the Magners League title, Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll has declared that he won't give up the British & Irish Lions captaincy without a fight.

The 29-year-old led the famous touring team on their ill-fated tour of New Zealand in 2005 and is keen to make amends in South Africa in 2009.

Should the centre get the nod he will become only the second player to have captained the Lions on two tours, following in the out-sized footsteps of Martin Johnson (1997, 2001).

But O'Driscoll, no stranger to the fickle nature of rugby, was reluctant to count his chickens.

“2009 is a long, long way away but if you were asking me right now, of course, straight up, I would love to be captain of the Lions again,” he told Wales on Sunday.

“There's a huge amount of rugby to be played [before the tour], but first and foremost I want to get as fit as possible next season and be playing well.

“Then I can start thinking about Lions trips and the captaincy, but not before any of that.”

Ospreys loose forward Ryan Jones is the early favourite to lead the Lions after guiding Wales to the Grand Slam earlier in the year, and O'Driscoll paid his rival generous praise.

“I'm sure if the Lions team was being picked this season, Ryan would not be too far away from the captaincy,” said the Irishman.

“He's been a great leader and the captaincy is not always about what you say, it's about what you do.

“”He's been a real talisman for both the Ospreys and for Wales this season.

“He won the Anglo-Welsh Cup and won the Grand Slam so the guy must be doing something right.

“I haven't seen him in a dressing room but he obviously seems to have the respect of the players and that's half the battle.

“The Lions trip is another 13 months away but if he produces another year like that he will be there and thereabouts.”

The Lions will formally announce their coaching team in London on Wednesday, with Ian McGeechan expected to be named head coach and Shaun Edwards alongside him.

And O'Driscoll urged Sir Clive Woodward's successor – whoever that may be – to learn from the mistakes of the humiliation of 2005.

“There are definitely huge lessons to be learned,” said O'Driscoll.

“In 2005 the coaching staff went in with pre-conceived ideas as to what the Test team would be. Not everyone performed the way they should have but some guys still got into the Test team.”

Three years ago Woodward tried to create a blueprint for future Lions success, using 51 players and 26 backroom staff, but came unstuck as the Lions were whitewashed 3-0 in the Test series.

Instead of Woodward's giant blueprint, O'Driscoll held up McGeechan's 1997 triumph over the Springboks as the ultimate Lions experience.

“I do believe it is hugely important for this next tour that everyone starts on level pegging,” added O'Driscoll.

“If you play well you get selected next time round, irrespective of reputation or whether you have been on other Lions tours or whether you have been captain of your country. None of that should matter.

“It is the guys who are playing well when you are on tour who should play the Test rugby. You have to give everyone equal opportunity to get into the Test team.”