Woodward eyes Brennan for Lions

Toulouse's former Irish international Trevor Brennan could be one of Clive Woodward's many surprises when the 44-man Lions tour squad is announced.

Brennan, who last played for Ireland against Samoa in 2001, is held in high esteem by the former England coach. "If you speak to the players there's a huge amount of respect for the guy," Woodward told the Sunday Independent. "Players tend to know better than most coaches. It's not just the Irish, but Welsh and English players as well." The 31-year-old former Dublin milkman moved from Leinster to Toulouse in 2003 and immediately picked up a Heineken Cup winner's medal in an all-French final against Perpignan at Lansdowne Road.

Brennan is highly-rated at Stade Toulousain, where he is used anywhere in the back five. Woodward is ensuring his preparations for the trip to New Zealand in June are as thorough as possible. "I've spoken to quite a few players, and they probably don't know what they're actually saying when we're having these conversations," he told the newspaper. "But you talk about certain players and they'll say if they think they're up to scratch or that they don't want them in their team. "I haven't heard a bad word said against Trevor, which, considering he has a pretty tough guy reputation, is, to me, impressive."