No room for Joe Schmidt or Robbie Henshaw as Brian O’Driscoll talks British & Irish Lions

17 months to go until the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand but when Brian O'Driscoll speaks, folks tend to listen.

The Irish rugby legend is in Hong Kong, this weekend, for the latest leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/718388989569417216 As part of a wide-ranging interview with The Telegraph, O'Driscoll re-affirmed his wishes to stay away from coaching and admitted the 2016 Six Nations will not be fondly remembered. The next Lions coach will be announced later this year, with a sabbatical from national team duty a requirement for the lucky man selected. With that impending announcement in mind, it only felt right to ask O'Driscoll, who went on four Lions jaunts, for his thoughts on coaches and potential partnerships. Considering that Wales coach Warren Gatland axed the Irishman for the third and final Test against Australia - for Jonathan Davies - there is remarkably little ill will. O'Driscoll said:

"You have to think it’s between Gats and Joe Schmidt and I think having been under Gats in 2013 – and he was a coach in 2009 as well – his style is probably something that lends itself to the short lead-in time."

No mention of Grand Slam-winning Eddie Jones then. The Aussie did not do too shabbily with England after only taking over the side in December 2015. O'Driscoll also selected the man who replaced him at outside centre to play, well, outside centre.

"Manu Tuilagi and Jonathan Davies… I will get absolutely lambasted in Wales for not picking Jamie Roberts but I think you have to have Manu in there and I don’t think you play him and Jamie together."

Robbie Henshaw may not have convinced the great man yet.