Declan Kidney's decision to overlook BOD when naming his Ireland captain for the Six Nations and give Jamie Heaslip the gig caught everyone off guard today, and provides yet another memento mori on the career of the great Brian O'Driscoll. The decision seems to have all kinds of ramifications for the Ireland team and the Lions that seem foggy at the moment. On Twitter this morning, some were positive, some were bummed out and other were trying to figure out what this means for the future.
The upper echelon of rugby nerddom saw it as a step in the right direction.
Very positive call from kidney to retain heaslip as captain. Sends out message that positives from November will carry forward. Great stuff.
— Whiff of Cordite (@WhiffofCordite) January 17, 2013
Others were not impressed.
Brian O'Driscoll should captain#Ireland until the day he hangs up hisboots OR asks not too. Greatest ever. #sixnations
— Paddy McKenna (@PaddyMcKenna) January 17, 2013
A wave of sadness swept some corners of the country.
RIP brian o'driscoll as captain :( #irfu
— Louis Fields (@Louisfields13) January 17, 2013
Shocked to hear Brian O'Driscoll has been dropped as Irish captain for the Six Nations. My dad will now enter an epic period of mourning#BOD
— hannah_lou (@hannah_lou) January 17, 2013
@hannah_lou I will be wearing the black Irish jersey as a mark of respect at games from now on.
— Eoin Murphy (@eoinmurphy22) January 17, 2013
And then there are the Lions ramifications to weigh up.
You wonder what ramifications not being named Ireland's Six Nations skipper will have on Brian O'Driscoll's Lions captaincy ambitions #rugby
— James Tennant (@sjjames_) January 17, 2013
Spoke to Jamie Heaslip at length yesterday - was fully expecting Brian O'Driscoll to get Six Nations captaincy. Now favourite for Lions?
— Julian Bennetts (@julian_bennetts) January 17, 2013
So, Jamie Heaslip's been chosen as Ireland's Six Nations skipper ahead of Brian O'Driscoll. Has to be a frontrunner for Lions captaincy now.
— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) January 17, 2013
