If there was a question mark over Simon Zebo's international future after announcing his decision to leave future, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt left no room for doubt when he named his squad for the November Internationals.
There was no place for the versatile wing and full back with a policy of selecting a player based abroad as in the case of Johnny Sexton previously at Racing 92 not considered when it came to Zebo.
Brian O'Driscoll joined Ger and Dave on Friday night's show and discussed the turn of events.
"Yeah, harsh," was the Ireland legend's take on Zebo being immediately axed from the Irish squad.
"I was sure that he'd be allowed his year of continuing in the squad. He's been the in form full back undoubtedly this season in Ireland. Rob Kearney had a good showing last weekend but he's been barely on the pitch. So for Zebo to find himself in the extremities, he must have sensed that there was a chance of it to come but he must have thought, 'Surely Joe won't be that ruthless, not that immediately after I've handed my decision in.'"
O'Driscoll also touched on the way in which the IRFU do not have a defined policy like Wales in terms of the way they deal with players based abroad.
"They've been very clever in not defining it a la Wales and Australia with their 60 cap rule because there are going to be circumstances like Johnny Sexton, like a Conor Murray in time, like a Tadhg Furlong where you have to be able to pick these guys because they're comfortably No 1," he said.
"So I think all in all it's been very smart from Joe Schmidt and from the IRFU. But I would feel very, very sorry for Simon Zebo because he's a player that everyone wants to see playing, he's exciting, he's great value in a green jersey, he's played in 10 of the last 12 tests under Joe Schmidt and now he finds himself in the wilderness, having just made a call beyond rugby - and I do see it as that - I do think with him, his lineage with his father a French speaker, with his Spanish girlfriend, his two kids, he has a lot to think about beyond playing international rugby."
