He's not playing the game. He's not interested in being political. He doesn't want to shirk the truth for an easy life. Sean O'Brien has a "I couldn't give a fuck" attitude that is all but gone in modern sport, especially in the professional game.
He's always been that way, and probably always will be. He's a rugby player who gives everything he has to be successful. His job isn't to pretend or lie when he's asked a question.
On Wednesday, O'Brien said what was on his mind, as usual, when asked about the coaching on the Lions tour at an event in Tullow Rugby Club.
He told Newstalk's Off The Ball:
I'd be pretty critical of it, to be honest, because we should the tour and won it comfortably enough. I think there's a lot of learnings to take from the tour, in terms of the coaching set-up, as well, and from a players point of view and how we dealt with things."
Not to be negative about it - it was a great tour and everything - but at the end of the day, with the squad we had, we probably should have beat them. 100%.
There's the best players in the world on a Lions Tour. I know you are playing the best team in the world but with the quality and strength in depth we had, we probably should have won the tour. It wasn't down to fatigue. It was probably management a bit, in terms of how our weeks went.
He went on to point out some of the specifics of his issues, including a bizarre decision to have a triple training session on the Thursday before the first Test, a game The Lions lost after a second half collapse.
Later, he singled out Rob Howley for particular criticism:
The coaches have a lot to answer for in terms of our attack. Johnny and Faz were the ones running our attack shape.
If I was being critical of any coach it would be the fact that Rob (Howley) struggled with the group in terms of trying to get stuff across.
Johnny and Owen drove everything in the second (Test) week, for instance, in our attack and had a better plan in place. So I don’t know if it was that people were not buying into what he (Howley) was about. That’s the hard thing about a Lions tour as well, getting everyone to listen to a coach that was probably set in his ways.
He said what he thought. He was honest, and forthright, and didn't shirk the question.
He wanted to win. The Lions celebrated a series draw as a moral victory. That's fine. It was a fantastic achievement. But for a professional sportsperson like O'Brien, that wasn't good enough. He thought they could have done better, and is open about it.
Of course, as is generally the case in modern sport, honest talk of any kind was quickly shut down. Warren Gatland felt the need to respond, as did Lions chief executive John Feehan, both criticising O'Brien for his comments.
Instead of acknowledging and accepting that a player like Sean O'Brien wasn't happy with celebrating a draw and was merely suggesting things could be improved for next time, they took his words as an insult, and claimed that O'Brien must "explain himself".
If one of a coach's own players feels this way, shouldn't he find out why instead of launching a counter attack? Is Sean O'Brien not someone whose criticism might be valuable to take on board?
Whether O'Brien is right or wrong here is almost irrelevant. This was his honest perspective, and should be treated as such.
As it happened, the Leinster flanker did "explain himself". In his statement today, O'Brien states that:
Unfortunately, some people have focused on what I feel we could have done better instead of what we did well.
I have nothing but respect for Warren and the whole coaching team, in addition to the rest of the back room staff and squad of players. But do I believe we - the players and coaches - could have done better? Yes. Do I believe we could have won the series? Yes. Do I believe the Lions squad in 2021 will be better for this? Yes. If we don't look to build on and improve on the tour to New Zealand how can future Lions squads get better?
Let's not forget, the Carlow man was one of the stand out players on the Lions in New Zealand. He was a leader on and off the pitch throughout the tour, cemented his Test place early on with outstanding performances and then was a stand out player in the Test series until his injury in the third Test ended his involvement.
He gave everything he had to The Lions cause, and performed for the team, perhaps more so than he has done for Leinster and Ireland recently, during an injury ravaged spell.
There's been a lot of back clapping since the tour of New Zealand ended in July. There was a consensus the Lions had done well, but O'Brien doesn't care about consensus.
That's who he is. If he's has something to say, he will say it. He has earned his opinion, and his right to give it. Nobody should try to shut that down. It's why he's the player he is. It's why we love him. No bullshit, straight talk, for the good of his team and the game.
Sean O'Brien doesn't need to glad hand and plamás. It's not his game.
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