British and Irish Lions 2017: Sean O'Brien sets sights on Test spot as Sam Warburton struggles with injury

Part of O’Brien’s case is that he can fill any one of the three positions across the back three – something that could earn a place among the replacements

Sean O'Brien has his eye on a Test place (Getty)

This Saturday’s match against the Crusaders could be the biggest chance for Sean O’Brien to book his place in the British and Irish Lions Test side given there will be not opposition of a higher calibre than the Super Rugby leaders, and with doubts surrounding tour captain Sam Warburton’s current fitness, Warren Gatland could well be sending out his replacement.

Graham Rowntree played down the severity of the ankle injury that Warburton has suffered on the eve of the clash with the unbeaten Crusaders, but Ireland flanker O’Brien insisted he has set his sights on winning a place in the Test XV.

Part of O’Brien’s case is that he can fill any one of the three positions across the back three – something that could earn a place among the replacements if he’s left out of the starting line-up – but he wants to prove the Gatland that he’s worthy of a place in his first-choice side to give himself a crack at the All Blacks in two weeks’ time.

“There's three positions I'm battling for, so the odds are a little bit better in that sense,” O’Brien said on Friday. Obviously, Warby is captain but as you've seen a few years ago anything can happen and it's about putting your best foot forward and making sure your hand is up for selection.

“That's what I want to do, I want to be in the Test side; as does every other player. That's just the nature of it.”

Four years ago in Australia, O’Brien was the beneficiary of the hamstring injury that Warburton suffered to rule him out of the third Test, with the Irish back-row coming into the starting line-up for the series-clinching victory.

The 30-year-old is now one of the elder statesmen on this tour, although he has been made to wait for his first taste of rugby in New Zealand this time around due to a niggling calf injury that affected meant he was only able to start training fully last Tuesday.

“It has taken a bit longer than I would have liked,” he admitted. “I got introduced gradually to the field so as to hit all the targets along the way as I came back with the calf. Thankfully it’s all good and I had a good week’s training last week.

Warren Gatland is weighing up his options (Getty)

“The lay-off helps tidy up a few other bits and pieces, a few knocks and I feel great.”

The fact that O’Brien has been trusted by Gatland to take on the Crusaders, the unbeaten Super Rugby leaders, not only shows that he is firmly in the Test selection mix but also that he trusts the Leinster back-row in the biggest matches.

“I’ve grown up a lot in the last four years, one of the younger guys to one of the older ones but that is something I embrace and enjoy that whole aspect of it,” he added.

He also drew praise from one of his coaches in Rowntree, who enjoys working with O’Brien having also seen his talents in 2013.

“He’s not played a lot of rugby coming into the tour but he’s trained exceptionally well in the last week,” Rowntree said on Friday. “He’s class and a proven performer as we saw in the last tour. He brings many attributes to the game on both sides of the ball. I like his energy in the group, he’s impressive and I’m looking forward to seeing him tomorrow in the group.”

But no matter how much credit in the bank O’Brien has from four years ago, nor the impression he’s given in the last fortnight will remove the fact that this is the toughest game for O’Brien to return in, given the Crusaders are, on paper, a much more difficult proposition than either the Blues or the Provincial Barbarians.

They have also named a stacked squad that harbours seven All Blacks, five of which start in the pack, but ever the competitor, O’Brien would have it no other way and plans to take on that challenge head-first.

“It's not a hindrance, it's something I'm looking forward to,” he added. “It's going to be a very tough game against one of the best sides in New Zealand - the best side at the minute.

“You embrace that, you look forward to the battle and I'll just go for as long as I can when I get out there. The lungs will be burning at some stage, I presume.”