PRO14 is a poor, poor tournament – O’Driscoll
RUGBY legend Brian O’Driscoll has delivered a candid and brutal assessment of the PRO14 by dubbing it a “poor, poor tournament.”
The Ireland and Lions great feels the lack of credible week in, week out competition against Welsh, Scottish and Italian sides has been a key factor in Leinster failing to reach the European Champions Cup final this year.
The Irish powerhouses fell 32-23 to French side La Rochelle and according to OTB Sports, O’Driscoll has called into question the standard of opposition Leinster are facing at domestic level.
“Unless you find yourself in those circumstances a couple of times a year, it is very hard to prep yourself for it when the chips are down,” he said of their Euro semi-final defeat.
“There is an issue with the PRO14, we have said it for a while. We’ve been trying to promote it as not so bad, but it’s a poor, poor tournament. The quality is very poor. You look at what the English and French teams are having to deliver week on week, it is a dogfight.
“Leinster have won the PRO14 the last few years at a canter, using 59 players. That just shouldn’t happen when you’re able to delve that deep into your academy and subacademy and produce try bonuses almost every game. What are you learning from that?
“You only learn from better teams; at the moment, other teams are learning from them and getting better as a result. I don’t think Leinster are learning a huge amount because of the opposition they are coming up against week in, week out.”
La Rochelle’s powerhouse lock Will Skelton helped lead the Euro charge against Leinster, the Australian dubbed as unstoppable at times.
And, looking ahead to a revamp of the Guinness PRO, O’Driscoll said: “Until they get the Stormers, the Sharks, and the other South African teams, I think they (Leinster) will get to a plateau level of still feeling that shock when they see the Skeltons, the Itojes or the Vunipolas coming at them.”