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'I would find it difficult to be involved in a team with someone of that opinion' - O'Driscoll

BOD played against Folau in 2013

Brian O’Driscoll has queried the harmony within the Australia camp as David Pocock and Israel Folau insist their opposing views on homosexuality will not affect their professionalism.

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Ireland face the Wallabies in the first of three Tests in Brisbane on Saturday and legendary former centre O’Driscoll believes the hosts’ team environment may not be the easiest of places to be.

Full-back Folau has caused controversy with his outspoken anti-gay views, which are based upon his strong religious beliefs.

In contrast, Pocock is a well-publicised supporter of equal rights and has warned that Folau’s choice to air his opinions could have damaging effects on those who view the star back as a role model but are grappling with their identities.

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On Sunday, Pocock and Folau faced the media to insist their differences would not harm the team dynamic.

Waratahs man Pocock said he could “absolutely” put their views to one side and play together, while Folau revealed details of a previous conversation held between the pair, emphasising that he and his team-mate “respect each other fully”.

But, speaking last week, O’Driscoll questioned whether their opposing standpoints could create an uneasy dressing room.

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“When you have someone like David Pocock and Israel Folau, I wonder what the team dynamic is like in the Australia camp when you have two people with such differing opinions and both as vocal as the other on what their stance is,” HSBC ambassador O’Driscoll told Omnisport.

“It can’t help for positive relations but I suppose they’re professionals and they have to treat their own personal opinions separately to their rugby playing careers.

“But I would definitely think from David Pocock’s situation it can’t be easy when you disagree so much, but I suppose in some ways it’s perhaps the same for Israel Folau.”

O’Driscoll was also surprised Folau faced no punishment from Rugby Australia or the Waratahs after an Instagram comment which claimed gay people should go to hell unless they repent their sins.

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“I was somewhat intrigued as to how the Waratahs did deal with it because in many other organisations you might not have had a similar outcome,” he added.

“You have a responsibility in the public domain…you can have a point of view but when it’s as outspoken…when you know your comments are going to antagonise huge numbers of people that listen to them…we talk about the game being an inclusive game, rugby is such a diverse game for all shapes and sizes and you’re not spreading the values of what the game is about.

“Personally I would find it quite difficult to be involved in a team environment with someone that is of that opinion but that’s my own personal belief because I believe in equality in all forms.”

 

Brian O’Driscoll was speaking at the HSBC London Sevens on behalf of HSBC. The title sponsor of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is working in partnership with World Rugby to reach new fans, support the growth of Rugby Sevens worldwide and fulfil their shared goal of helping the sport thrive in the long term.

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N
NH 35 minutes ago
'The Wallabies need to convert much better - or Melbourne could be much worse'

Nice one as always Brett. I think the stats hide a bit of the dominance the lions had, and they would look alot worse in that first half when the game was more in the balance. You mention it here but I think it hasn’t been talked about enough was the lineout. The few times the wallabies managed to exit their half and get an opportunity to attack in the 1st half, the lineout was lost. This was huge in terms of lions keeping momentum and getting another chance to attack, rather than the wallabies getting their chance and to properly ‘exit’ their half. The other one you touch on re “the will jordan bounce of the ball” - is kick chase/receipt. I thought that the wallabies kicked relatively well (although were beaten in this area - Tom L rubbish penalty kicks for touch!), but our kick receipt and chase wasn’t good enough jorgenson try aside. In the 1st half there was a moment where russell kicked for a 50:22 and potter fumbled it into touch after been caught out of position, lynagh makes a similar kick off 1st phase soon after and keenan is good enough to predict the kick, catch it at his bootlaces and put a kick in. That kick happened to go out on the full but it was a demonstration on the difference in positioning etc. This meant that almost every contested kick that was spilled went the way of the lions, thats no accident, that is a better chase, more urgency, more players in the area. Wallabies need to be better in who fields their kicks getting maxy and wright under most of them and Lynagh under less, and the chase needs to be the responsibility of not just one winger but a whole group of players who pressure not just the catch but the tackle, ruck and following phase.

17 Go to comments
J
JW 51 minutes ago
Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

Thanks for the further background to player welfare metrics Nick.


Back on the last article I noted that WR is now dedicating a whole section in their six-point business plan to this topic. It also noted that studies indicated 85-90% of workload falls outside of playing. So in respect to your point on the classification of ‘involvements’ included even subs with a low volume of minutes, it actually goes further, to the wider group of players that train as if they’re going to be required to start on the weekend, even if they’re outside the 23. That makes even the 30-35 game borderline pale into insignificance.


No doubt it is won of the main reasons why France has a quota on the number of one clubs players in their International camps, and rotate in other clubs players through the week. The number of ‘invisible’ games against a player suggests the FFRs 25 game limit as more appropriate?


So if we take it at face value that Galthie and the FFR have got it right, only a dozen players from the last 60 international caps should have gone on this tour. More players from the ‘Scotland 23’ than the more recent 23.


The only real pertinent question is what do players prefer more, health or money? There are lots of ethical decisions, like for instance whether France could make a market like Australia’s where their biggest rugby codes have yearly broadcast deals of 360 and 225 million euros. They do it by having a 7/8 month season.

68 Go to comments
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