Gum’s the word for Drico
The Ireland ace was sensationally axed from the squad for the crunch decider against the Aussies in Sydney last July by coach Warren Gatland. But the 34-year-old, who has starred in four British & Irish Lions’ tours, said he never gave up hope of togging out for the side one final time.
And he said he placed his gumshield in his suit pocket just in case Welsh centre Jamie Roberts, injured himself during the warm-up.
“I brought my gumshield to the game, because Jamie Roberts had been injured for three weeks,” he said.
“I just thought, ‘What if he broke down in the warm-up?’ I can deal with everything else, but I can’t get a gumshield, one that I’m comfortable with.”
Despite the triumphant scenes as the Lions romped to victory in the decider, the 34-year-old admitted he felt deeply hurt at being dropped for what would have been his final appearance in a Lions’ shirt.
In an interview on The Late Late Show, he said: “It was my last opportunity to win in a Lions team and I wasn’t actually going to take to the field. That was a big disappointment.”
Drico also revealed that he bumped into Lions’ coach Warren Gatland at a function in Downing Street in London several weeks ago. However, he said he managed to defuse the situation by presenting the New Zealander with an early festive card.
“I just went up to him and said, ‘I know you’ve probably heard that you’re off my Christmas card list, but I’ve had a rethink and you’re back on it. Congratulations’.
“I just put it into his pocket and didn’t really talk to him after that. He just laughed and said, ‘I’d heard something’ and that was kind of the situation defused.”
He also told presenter Ryan Tubridy of his ongoing charity work with Temple Street and the ISPCC. But he said the biggest priority in his life was his eight-month-old daughter, Sadie, adding: “You have perspective when little people come into your life.”
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