Brian O’Driscoll Has His Say On The Residency Rule & CJ Stander

Former Ireland and Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll has admitted that he isn’t a fan of the current three-year residency rule that allowed CJ Stander to declare for Ireland.

O’Driscoll does however think that Stander is ‘exactly’ what the British & Irish Lions need to take on the All Blacks this summer.

The Munster back-row became the first forward in Six Nations history to grab a hat-trick this past weekend, and also collected the man of the match award. O’Driscoll says Stander’s form won’t have gone unnoticed by Warren Gatland as he looks to pick his squad to travel to New Zealand.

“I’ve been massively impressed with him,” O’Driscoll said.

“I’ll be brutally honest, I didn’t know that he would be the player that he has become. I’m sure the South Africans are absolutely spewing about losing a world-class player. From a Lions perspective, he is absolutely in the mix. He is exactly what you need to take on a big Kiwi pack.”

Few players are as popular among supporters as Stander, but O’Driscoll questions whether any player should be allowed to switch countries after just three years – even as he understands why professionals make that decision.

“CJ has made the most of the circumstances that still exist and good luck to him,”

“He felt he wasn’t going to make it at the grade in South Africa. I personally think three years is too short but I wouldn’t knock CJ or Bundee Aki who want to play for a team that isn’t the country of their birth or where they grew up because it is an opportunity to play international rugby.

What do you think of the residency rule?