New Zealand pair should have been punished for Brian O'Driscoll spear tackle, admits referee Joel Jutge

The Irishman was almost left with a broken neck after Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu picked up the Lions captain and dropped him in the first minute of the first Test of the 2005 Tour

Brian O’Driscoll receives treatment following the spear tackle (Getty)

Referee Joel Jutge has admitted he should have shown a red card to Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu for their spear tackle on Brian O’Driscoll during the Lions’ 2005 tour of New Zealand.

O’Driscoll was almost left with a broken neck after the Kiwi pair picked up the Lions captain and rammed him to the floor in the first minute of the first Test.

As he was dumped to the floor, O’Driscoll twisted his body in a bid to avoid landing on his head and, as a result, his shoulder took the brunt of the tackle.

He was stretchered off and rushed to hospital with a dislocated shoulder that side-lined him for the rest of the tour. Neither Umaga or Mealamu have apologised for the tackle which could have ended O’Driscoll’s career.

And now, speaking 12 years after the incident, Jutge has revealed his regret over the decision which went on to spark fierce debate within the world of rugby.

“It should have at least been one red card,” Jutge told the Daily Mail. “Maybe Mealamu. Maybe Umaga. Maybe both. We didn’t see it and so we didn’t sanction it. I was really upset with myself.

“I realised at the post-match reception when someone said we missed an awful spear tackle. When I reviewed it back at the hotel, I was very unhappy. The officials should have worked better together.”

O’Driscoll later expressed his “huge frustration and anger” over the tackle, adding that he was disappointed by the lack of courtesy shown by Umaga, the All Blacks captain in that series, who turned a blind eye to the incident.

Video evidence of the tackle was put forward in a bid to impose sanctions on the Kiwi pair but no disciplinary measures were taken against the two players who were free to play for the rest of the series.

Clive Woodward presents video evidence of the tackle on O'Driscoll (Getty)

Jutge added that he personally apologised to O’Driscoll in the aftermath of the incident.

“We were staying in a hotel far away from the city so we were far away from everything after the game,” said Jutge. “I’m sure they were angry but I didn’t receive any nasty comments. I didn’t have people shouting at me. I’m sure they were saying bad things but two days later I was home.

“I spoke with Brian O’Driscoll seven weeks later and told him that I was sorry. I said, ‘Hey, I’m sad for you, but I didn’t see it’. That’s the life of a referee. Sometimes you don’t see everything. I’m sure he was a little bit angry at me, which I understand, but he didn’t say a thing because he’s a gentleman.”

Video footage shows the Irishman being lifted up by the Kiwi pair (Getty)

O’Driscoll retired in 2014, making his last appearance as a Lions player in the 2013 tour of Australia.

This hasn’t stopped the Irishman from joining up with the current touring party. The 38-year-old was on hand to present the match-day 23 with their Lions jerseys for Saturday’s first Test against the All Blacks.

Peter O'Mahony will lead out the Lions for the first Test in Auckland, with tour captain Sam Warburton due to start on the bench.

Both Liam Williams and Elliot Daly start the game at Eden Park, with Leigh Halfpenny only fit enough to be named among the replacements.