BOD: No ill-will towards Gatland

Brian O’Driscoll last night insisted he has no “animosity” towards Warren Gatland ahead of the Six Nations.

As Lions boss, Gatland controversially dropped O’Driscoll from the third and decisive Test in Sydney last summer and the New Zealander is certain to get a hot reception from Irish fans when his Welsh team runs out at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week. When quizzed on the issue yesterday, O’Driscoll was instead eager to focus minds on this weekend’s campaign opener against Scotland at the Aviva Stadium.

“We are getting ahead of ourselves,” he said when asked yet another Gatland-related question. “I know you guys are trying to get quotes for next week but I really don’t… I’m not involved in any squad for next week yet.

“I am involved in the here and now and looking forward hopefully to hearing my name read out [today] and trying to start the Six Nations well.

“Gatland factors and Wales factors and all that don’t come into the equation right now.”

But he insisted: “What happened, happened, I don’t have any ill-will towards Warren.

“It was raw at the time, but time heals wounds and I don’t have any animosity towards him.

“I just want to be involved in a team that can beat his team.”

Gatland tried the patience of the Irish players and fans long before he left O’Driscoll out of that Lions selection given his assertion that Ireland was the team the Welsh loved to hate more than any other. There is the feeling too that the Welsh Lions will be eager to make a point on their coach’s behalf after the outrage and criticism which Gatland had to endure when Jonathan Davies was preferred for that decider at ANZ Stadium.

“Maybe they will, I don’t know. You can’t hope to get into the other team’s mentality and anyway it is about this week. They have Italy this week so I can’t imagine they are giving much thought to anything like that.”