Brian O'Driscoll praises Elliot Daly ahead of possible England start
Thursday 10 November 2016 10:32, UK
Brian O'Driscoll has backed Elliot Daly to succeed on his first England start against South Africa on Saturday.
Wasps centre Daly is preferred to Jonathan Joseph for the No 13 shirt and makes his first international start after his first five England appearances came as a replacement.
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"I really like Elliot Daly, I admire the way he plays. A lot of what's good about Wasps comes through him. There's nothing quite like the afterburners that he's clearly got," Ireland great O'Driscoll said.
"Nothing matches raw pace, especially if you're getting front-foot ball as a 13 and getting to run on to it because you've got excellent passers inside you like Owen Farrell or George Ford.
"You'd imagine that with the level of possession England's pack will provide, he'll be in a good place.
"He's got a lovely, educated left boot and it's nice to have that long range aspect with left and right footers for kick exits.
"There may have been question marks about him defensively in the past, but he's been very solid this season.
"He'd played over 100 games before he was even 21, which is remarkable. He's had to bide his time and it sounds like it's pure form he's been selected on."
