Brian O’Driscoll has backed Joe Schmidt’s call to pick Ian Keatley at 10 ahead of Ian Madigan for Ireland's Six Nations opener in Rome tomorrow.
The New Zealander cited the Munster man’s understanding with scrum-half and club-mate Conor Murray as a key factor in his decision, and O’Driscoll can see sense in the call.
“There’s probably some validity to that,” O’Driscoll told Ger in the Off The Ball studio tonight, "but at the same time I think Ian Madigan probably had his audition last weekend (for the Irish Wolfhounds) and it didn’t go as he would have liked it to have.
“He hasn’t played much ten. I think Going with Keatley is a smart and shrewd enough move, not unlike Joe’s selections in the past.
“I think Keatley can do a little bit better at 10 than Madigan can, and I still stick by Madigan being a better 12 than 10.
"Keatley can facilitate the players around him better than Ian can ... Ian’s a fantastic game-winner himself.
“Picking [Keatley] at 10 sends out a message not trying to play too much rugby too early on ... and letting Keatley play into the game.”
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