Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll admits he coveted the Lions captaincy but will do everything to back his compatriot Paul O'Connell in South Africa. Read his thoughts in the Observer.
"I am honestly delighted for Paul O'Connell to be named as Lions captain, and it's a great endorsement for Irish rugby for the Lions to have another Irish leader. Ian McGeechan has made it very clear that he savours having a captain in the forwards. He has done it before, most notably with Martin Johnson in '97, and he felt the focal character needed to be there. Paul was the obvious choice.
"Even though it wasn't too much of a surprise to have Paul confirmed, it still stung a little bit. Of course I would love to have been captain and it hurts to feel like you have been overlooked, but it was natural for me to feel that kind of hunger and ambition as a previous captain still playing, and I would have been more worried if I hadn't felt disappointed."
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