O'Driscoll digusted by de Villiers
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Brian O'Driscoll has blasted South Africa coach Peter de Villiers following his controversial comments about eye-gouging.
De Villiers said he felt Springboks flanker Schalk Burger did not deserve a yellow card after he made contact with the eye area of British and Irish Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald during last Saturday's second Test.
Burger was subsequently cited and banned for eight weeks, and de Villiers issued an apology for his post-match remarks.
But Lions centre O'Driscoll, who flies home injured from the tour, said: 'When I heard those comments I wondered how someone can get away with something like that.
'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.'
He added: 'To hear a national coach saying in any shape or form, gouging is acceptable in the modern-day game is despicable.
'I find that mind-boggling that you can have a national team coach saying something like that. Essentially, it brought the game into disrepute.'
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