Sexton: O’Brien spoke up to Lions coaches

Jonathan Sexton has echoed Sean O’Brien’s assertion that the Tullow flanker criticised the British and Irish Lions coaching staff in the confines of the team environment long before he made his frustrations public.

O’Brien was critical of training loads imposed on the squad in the weeks leading up to the first and third Tests against New Zealand when speaking to the media. And he singled out attack coach Rob Howley as someone who struggled to get his points across and stuck in his ways.

Nearly a month passed before Lions coach Warren Gatland faced the press and when he did he expressed disappointment at such opinions being aired publicly. “I went,’ Phew!’ If he wanted to say something, then there is a different forum rather than being critical,” said Gatland.