Gaffney: Prince Brian can still be king

London Wasps have been warned reports of Brian O'Driscoll's demise are greatly exaggerated and he will be a major threat when they face Leinster in the Heineken Cup in Dublin tomorrow.

That's according to Alan Gaffney, who has returned to Leinster to take control of their back division after being in charge of Saracens for two seasons.

O'Driscoll stood down as Leinster captain after leading the team to Magners League title success last season. Many in Ireland now expect him to be relieved of the leadership of his country for the November internationals despite the centre's record as the most successful Irish captain of all time. But Gaffney insists O'Driscoll is still a big player and points to his recent eye-catching display against Edinburgh as evidence of that. The 29-year-old scored a trademark try in that match as Leinster began their Heineken Cup campaign with a 27-16 win in Scotland.

Gaffney, one of the most respected coaches in the game, said: "Brian showed a lot of class against Edinburgh and I'd like people to get off his back. There are always huge expectations where Brian is concerned. He has been troubled by a hamstring problem for the last two years but I never thought he was off the pace. He is still the prince of centres and may even be a better player than in his younger days because he understands the game so well."

O'Driscoll captained the Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005 and is desperate to be involved in the 2009 trip to South Africa. Tomorrow's clash gives him a chance to impress Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards, the Wasps management team.

McGeechan is the Lions head coach in South Africa and will next week name Edwards as his right-hand man for the tour. Wasps are unchanged from the team that beat Castres.

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