Beef in Tullow and sheep at Abbeycwmhir, Wales – Seán O’Brien and Dan Lydiate have more in common than they think. Both farmers and backrow Lions, Lydiate has made a breathtaking recovery from a broken ankle, while O’Brien continues to tease with his knee – none of it the flanker’s making.
The latest offering on O’Brien is a puzzling “watch this space” from coach Graham Rowntree. It is a straightforward injury story that has fast become an absurd saga. The consensus is O’Brien won’t play at the weekend.
But if any crumbs of comfort are to be taken from the Irish backrow’s arrested beginning to this Lions tour, it is how Lydiate has recovered from a season of playing no international rugby to be in the picture for a starting backrow position.
On declaring his fitness, the Lions captain Sam Warburton breathlessly uttered the encouraging words “my wing man is back”. Quite an endorsement from the tour leader.
While Lydiate is obviously short on international game time and missed all of the Wales resurrection story from autumn disarray to Six Nations triumph, he is a favourite of Warren Gatland.
Seen as a hugely destructive force, if Warburton is seven, Lydiate has a strong chance to play six and the Test number eight is up for grabs.
'Happy days'
"Good," says Lydiate about his ankle. "Stiff in the morning but it's no different from the other one. Happy days, just strap it and I'm good to go. I'm quite happy.
“Played five games now and it seems to be going really well in training. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
“It would be nice to get another couple of matches just to get up to the speed of international rugby. I haven’t played international rugby this year.
“But I’m feeling quite fit at the minute and just chatting to the boys now . . . different bunch of boys but everyone is looking forward to getting out there and hit the ground running.”
That maybe an advantage that Lydiate carries into the tour with him. If O’Brien misses the opening matches, it will give comfort to a backrow that has played together.
Gelling after some seasonal trench warfare was a catchphrase yesterday and the first three to do that to Gatland’s satisfaction will bring an edge with them from their first match against the Barbarians in Hong Kong into Australia.
“Yeah, It’s harder for them boys to come in because as soon as they come in we’re flying straight away,” says Lydiate. “They have to get up to speed straightway whereas we’ve had a couple of weeks to run the patterns and plays and stuff.
“I am at an advantage but there is no doubting the quality of player both of them are. Tom (Croft) was the Lions six for the last series, and Seán O’Brien was European player of the year a couple of seasons ago.
"I count my blessings, to be honest. It's hard to call who will make the Test side but it will be awesome to push yourself against the best because that's why we're here."
Long road
Rowntree is a canny coach and yesterday he cautioned that it was a long road. He was asked what O'Brien's best position was.
“I’m not trying to be funny here but backrow,” he replied deadpan. “I think he will play all three positions. He will be a good impact player and I think he is an exceptional talent.”
That’s both music and irritating noise to O’Brien, who earlier this month was refreshingly clear on his position and ambitions for the summer.
“It wouldn’t be my view to be an impact player,” he said with certainty. “No, it would be my view to start and that’s what I’ll be hoping for.”
Rowntree and Lydiate may not have known of O’Brien’s stated hunger but it’s what makes even the first selections by Gatland so heavily freighted with what he is thinking and possibly crushing to some players. But in that dog fight Lydiate is no different from O’Brien.
“I’m just chuffed to bits to be involved in the squad,” said the Welsh man. “But being involved, you have to prove your worth and why you were selected. That’s what I’m just trying to do.”
