Corrigan says captaincy call was ‘disloyal’

The decision to relieve Brian O’Driscoll of the Irish armband has been described as disloyal by his former team-mate Reggie Corrigan who believes it could also impair the centre’s chances of leading the Lions for a second time this summer.

Corrigan played alongside O’Driscoll for over six years with Leinster and Ireland and spent a year in the same provincial team as Heaslip but believes Declan Kidney’s decision has done neither man any favours.

“There is no need to do this,” Corrigan told Newstalk yesterday. “There is plenty of time after this Six Nations for this and this isn’t an anti-Jamie Heaslip campaign. He has done a fantastic job. He’s a great player and will be a brilliant Irish captain over time but there is plenty of time between the Six Nations and the 2015 World Cup to give him that experience and to learn to lead that team into 2015.

“It doesn’t do his (O’Driscoll’s) Lions chances any good whatsoever. Brian has openly stated he wants to be considered for that tour and he definitely has that in him but this sends out another message, that there is an air of doubt about him.

“Again, where is the loyalty to the man?”