David Pocock and Israel Folau during an Australian Wallabies training session. Photo / Getty Images
David Pocock and Israel Folau during an Australian Wallabies training session. Photo / Getty Images
Former Ireland and British and Irish Lions stalwart Brian O'Driscoll has questioned claims that David Pocock and Israel Folau's views won't impair their professionalism.
Folau has made headlines with his views against homosexuality, meanwhile former Wallabies skipper Pocock is a well-publicised supporter of equal rights.
But the pair insists thattheir opposing views won't hurt the team's dynamics and performance on the field against Ireland tonight.
Speaking last week, O'Driscoll questioned that reality.
"I wonder what the team dynamic is like in the Australia camp when you have two people with such differing opinions and both as vocal as the other on what their stance is," O'Driscoll told Omnisport.
"It can't help for positive relations but I suppose they're professionals and they have to treat their own personal opinions separately to their rugby playing careers.
Brian ODriscoll. Photo / Getty Images
"But I would definitely think from David Pocock's situation it can't be easy when you disagree so much, but I suppose in some ways it's perhaps the same for Israel Folau."
O'Driscoll was surprised to see that Folau was handed no punishment, either from Rugby Australia or the Waratahs, for his derogatory comments.
"I was somewhat intrigued as to how the Waratahs did deal with it because in many other organisations you might not have had a similar outcome," O'Driscoll told Omnisport.
"You have a responsibility in the public domain...you can have a point of view but when it's as outspoken.
"When you know your comments are going to antagonise huge numbers of people that listen to them.
"We talk about the game being an inclusive game, rugby is such a diverse game for all shapes and sizes and you're not spreading the values of what the game is about."
O'Driscoll said that he would find it "quite difficult to be involved in a team environment" like the one Australia is facing currently.
Australia faceoff Ireland in the first of a three-match series tonight.
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