O’Driscoll slams IRB for video footage delay

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL last night criticised the International Rugby Board (IRB) for not condemning the tackle which ended his Lions tour until amateur footage they had been sitting on was broadcast by Sky television.

O'Driscoll dislocated his shoulder just 41 seconds into the Lions' first Test against New Zealand after a tackle from All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and hooker Keven Mealamu, which he has described as a "slam-dunk." The IRB's independent citing officer, Willem Venter, decided neither player had a case to answer and took no action at the time.

But the amateur footage, shot from the opposite angle to the television coverage, appears to lend weight to the Lions' argument that O'Driscoll had been victim of a spear tackle.