IRELAND legend Brian O’Driscoll has criticised Warren Gatland’s decision to call-up six players to his British and Irish Lions squad as midweek cover – and says he didn’t even know who six-times capped Dragons lock Cory Hill was.

A fortnight ago the Lions boss brought Hill and Wales hooker Kristian Dacey, tighthead Tomas Francis and scrum-half Gareth Davies into his squad along with Scotland fly-half Finn Russell and loosehead Allan Dell.

All six were named among the replacements for the games against the Chiefs and Hurricanes, with Dell having a short cameo against the former and Russell featuring briefly against the latter while Dan Biggar had a head injury assessment.

Gatland called them up because of their proximity to the tour – Scotland had played Australia while Wales had taken on Tonga in Auckland – but said he decided not to empty his bench because of accusations of him devaluing the Lions jersey.

O’Driscoll told the Off The Ball show that the New Zealander, who controversially dropped him for the series winner against Australia four years ago, should have stuck to his guns.

"Warren Gatland has made a mistake there, personally, because he's not staying strong with his convictions,” said the iconic centre.

"He talks about protecting the 23, well there's a chance that he hasn't gone and protected the 23."

"Someone like Iain Henderson could easily feature this weekend, yet he hasn't been protected because he had to go and play the full 80 minutes.

“Granted, he did spend 10 minutes in the sin bin, but he's gone and played a full game on the Tuesday.”

"You can't have a front row on for 80 minutes,” he continued. “When was the last time you had a front row on for 80 minutes? That's doing players a disservice, irrespective of whether they're Test players or not. Rory Best does not play 80 minutes anymore."

Hill was called up after a breakthrough season that saw him win his first cap against Australia after being called into the autumn squad because of injuries.

The 25-year-old went on to play Japan and South Africa before featuring as a replacement against Italy and England in the Six Nations.

He was vice-captain for Wales in the Test against Tonga at Eden Park yet he was unknown to O’Driscoll, who was still in the Leinster squad as a player when Hill started in the loss at the Royal Dublin Society in February 2014.

“I had heard prior to the tour that this might be the case. I wasn't anticipating the quality of those players being brought in as to the standard that they were,” he said.

"I wasn't even aware who Cory Hill was to be honest with you. I'm a pundit and I'm meant to know these things.

"I haven't covered a whole lot of Wales in the last year. I think he's with Newport Gwent Dragons, I don't cover them.

"Guys like him, how does he feel? Is he able to go away and say that he's been a Lion?

"I'm sure he's probably embarrased by it. It's a terrible situation to find yourself in as a player.

"This will become a big issue and a stick to beat Gats with if they lose the series 3-0.”

O'Driscoll's comments on Hill don't paint the pundit in the best light and the 'Geography Six' are unfazed by the furore.

"Obviously it wasn't as much time as we would have liked, and we haven't been able to show what we're fully capable of, but it's still fantastic," said Dell. "And you're just not going to say no to the Lions.

"Obviously it's frustrating not to have had more game time. Any player would say that.

"But we're privileged enough to have had those chances, and that's something we can take back and learn from.

"You don't come over wanting to just fill numbers, we're professionals, and you come over wanting to prove and to show you deserve to be in this scenario.

"That's the bit of frustration, but we understand we came in with a role and a job to play, and we're more than happy to fill that job and be a part of it."