O’Driscoll puts Lions thoughts on hold

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL has put any thoughts of the Lions captaincy on hold as he looks to the international season ahead, starting with some “unfinished business” against South Africa at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

The trip to New Zealand may still be seven months distant for Clive Woodward's British and Irish selection, but already the Leinster centre is having to cope with speculation that he is the front-runner to succeed Martin Johnson for the tourists' next assignment Down Under.

"I haven't hazarded a thought on it," he said. "You can't really start thinking about something that is seven months away. Rugby is very, very fickle.