THE build up to Ireland's game against Wales at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this Saturday has been dominated by the continuing Brian O’Driscoll and Warren Gatland saga.
The meeting between the two sides has been the focus of Irish rugby fans ever since O’Driscoll was controversially dropped by Wales Head Coach, Gatland, for the final Test of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia last summer.
The Lions won 41-16, but Gatland was heavily criticised in his role as Lions coach over his decision and he is determined for the saga not to be discussed in the build-up to Saturday’s fixture.
"I'd be pretty pissed off if that's raised as an issue. As far as I am concerned, that's dead and gone," Gatland said after Wales defeated Italy 23-15 in the opening game of the Six Nations.
"It's not about Brian and myself. Brian has moved on, I have moved on. It is about 46 players and two nations playing an international next weekend.
"The game is more important than myself and Brian, and if people want to make an issue out of that, to me it is just lazy journalism. Move on.”
He also discussed the importance of Saturday’s game, after Ireland beat Scotland 28-6 on the weekend.
"It [the Ireland game] is a massive challenge for us. It is going to be a huge game for both teams. You've got two teams coming together from opening victories on the first weekend.”
Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips also spoke ahead of the Ireland fixture and had plenty of praise for O’Driscoll, who won an Irish record 129th cap in the game against Scotland.
He said: “He’s been an icon of world rugby. He is a gentleman off the pitch. He’s a great bloke and he will be a threat at the weekend and we will have to watch him.
“I remember him scoring that try for the Lions against Australia [in 2001] and then eventually going on to play with him has been an honour. He is a world-class player. We know that, everyone knows that, just hope he has one of his lesser games at the weekend!”
Ireland v Wales - Aviva Stadium, Dublin
February 8 Kick Off: 14:30
