Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll strongly criticised Springbok coach Peter de Villiers on Wednesday for implying eye gouging was part of the game, calling his comments "semi-repulsive".

O'Driscoll, ruled out of the Lions tour after being injured in last Saturday's second Test, said the Springboks' Schalk Burger should had been red-carded for eye-gouging Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald.

"I am semi-appalled that a player that clearly gouged another player was simply given a yellow card and subsequently given an eight-week ban, which I find mind-boggling," O'Driscoll told RTE, Irish state radio.

"It was one thing being semi-baffled by what the referee decided upon ... but to hear the South African coach Peter de Villiers talk about gouging being part of the game was semi-repulsive.

"I can't be adamant enough about that."

Burger was yellow carded but De Villiers refused to condemn his actions, saying: "I don't believe it was a card at all ... this is sport, this is what it's about."

De Villiers and South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins subsequently issued a joint statement condemning all acts of foul play.

O'Driscoll said that irrespective of any apologies from de Villiers, his comments were "essentially bringing the game into disrepute".

"We are trying to promote the game and yet you hear comments like that. I just find it appalling. I truly find it a disgrace," he said.

"If it (gouging) is not clamped down on, you are going to lose people to the game of rugby and that's essentially the bigger picture. It's a bad day for us."

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