Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll, 33, will move heaven and earth to win a place on the Lions tour but has no interest in tourning if it means leaving Australia a “loser” again.

O’Driscoll, who also says he would be happy to serve as captain again if required by Coach Warren Gatland, has been on three tours and tasted defeat in five of his six Test matches. That is not a record he reflects on with any great pleasure and putting it right is high on his agenda.

“If you said you can get on the trip to Australia but you are not going to win the series I would have no interest,”  O’Driscoll said in Leicester last night, where he has starring in an Audience With TV special to be broadcast over X-mas.

 “I have already done three tours. The only reason to go on another Lions trip would be to win the series, to do something that I haven’t experienced before.” He conceded.