O'Driscoll slams Boks coach

O'Driscoll is heading home from South Africa on Wednesday morning after being ruled out of the third test against the world champions this weekend with concussion.

But before he headed home the 99-times capped Irish Grand Slam and 2005 Lions skipper became the latest critic of the under fire De Villiers for his reluctance to condemn the eye gouging by Schalk Burger in last weekend's second test against the British & Irish Lions.

Burger was banned for eight weeks on Sunday for gouging Luke Fitzgerald in the opening minute of the Boks' 28-25 series clinching win in Pretoria. De Villiers initially refused to condemn the actions of his back row forward, but ended up issuing a public apology on Monday night..

Now O'Driscoll, one of the most respected figureheads in the global game, has given his views on the issue four days before the third and final Test.

"When I heard those comments yesterday I wondered how someone can get away with something like that," he said.

"Irrespective of any apology, I find it an absolute disgrace that a coach of a national team can make comments as he did about gouging being part of the game.

"Someone made a really good point to me that kids, or parents watching an interview like that, questioning whether they should have their kid play rugby or soccer, that's their decision made right there.

"To hear a national coach saying in any shape or form, gouging is acceptable in the modern day game, is despicable. I find it mind-boggling that you can have a national team coach saying something like that.

"Essentially it brought the game into disrepute."

The IRB have already launched an investigation into the whole affair and O'Driscoll has backed their actions.

"De Villiers was trying to ease the sentence for one of his players. I just can't believe for a second that he thought Schalk Burger would get away with it," added O'Driscoll.

Returning home before the third test means O'Driscoll will miss out on the chance of becoming the latest player to play in 100 internationals. He had hoped to crown a wonder year with a first Lions Test series triumph, but it wasn't to be.

"What I hate is that essentially that's the last chapter, which will prey on my holidays a little bit. That's the taste that's left in your mouth - defeat in a series with the Lions, despite having won the Grand Slam and the Heineken Cup," he added.

"It's disappointing to think that you win those two in the same year that you lose a Lions' series. In another year you'd be on a complete high throughout the whole summer, whereas now I'm left with the feeling that I've been involved in three Lions' tours and I've lost the three of them.

"That's not the way I saw this year ending up after the first two Tests. But even having lost I'm really glad that I got to experience everything up to half-way into the last week.

"I've had a brilliant tour and I think that says an awful lot about what the management have done and this group of players. It has been an incredibly enjoyable tour, way more so than the other two.

"Even though we've lost the series going into the last game, I still look back and go 'do you know what, I've really, really enjoyed myself.

"Lions tours are based on the success of the series, but at least this time around there's been more to it than the previous tours. I've enjoyed the other factors that maybe I didn't enjoy in the first two."