Brian O'Driscoll last night reflected on his Lions heartbreak while Sir Clive Woodward slammed the "amazing decision" not to quiz those responsible.

While O'Driscoll faces up to possible shoulder surgery and a lengthy lay-off, All Blacks pair Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu will not be pursued over a dangerous double spear-tackle which seriously injured the Lions skipper.

Television footage showed the pair tipping O'Driscoll headlong into the Jade Stadium turf, leaving him with a dislocated right shoulder and a Lions Test captaincy reign that lasted just 77 seconds.

Although Lions management made their feelings known to match commissioner, South African Willem Venter, he decided against citing Mealamu and Umaga.

O'Driscoll, though, is still fuming about the episode.

"Obviously, I am absolutely gutted that my tour is over. There is a huge element of frustration and anger at the way it happened," he said.

"I have no doubt whatsoever there was some sort of spear tackle that ended it.

When you have worked so hard for something like that, to have a minute and 17 seconds, it doesn't really feel justified.

"I certainly feel there was plenty in it. I have been on the receiving end before, but I felt this was completely unnecessary and certainly beyond the rules and regulations of the game.

"My real disappointment was that he (Umaga) didn't come up as I was being carried off, which I thought would just be a common courtesy between captains, whether he had been involved or not.

"I don't know whether that shows any element of guilt or not, but that certainly disappointed me.

"It could have been a lot more serious injury. It was weird, it was one of those moments that you can see it happening. I knew I was in trouble from the moment I was up in the air."

O'Driscoll vividly recalled the incident last night, as it was confirmed he would remain on tour until its conclusion in two weeks' time.

"Leon MacDonald (All Blacks full-back) took the ball into contact, and I made some sort of tackle and had a go at the ball and didn't get it," said O'Driscoll. "Then a ruck formed, and I actually managed to fight my way into the middle of the ruck and try to counter-ruck.

"I was pushing Jerry Collins, because he was the man at the back of the ruck, to try and disturb the scrum-half. But two guys came around, picked a leg each up in the air, and as I was up in the air, I got turned around and they pretty much finished off the tackle. It wasn't a case of just dropping me, I felt there was force in it.

"What disappointed me is that modern-day television usually has umpteen different camera angles, and I just find it a little bizarre that there isn't one camera angle to have conclusive evidence that there was a lot more malice in it than has been said from the All Blacks camp.

"There were times after the game when I found it hard to keep the tears back. Even now, it is difficult to talk about, but I think it will sink in in a few days, the realisation that I got to captain the Lions in a Test match for just over a minute.

"I suppose I should be thankful it was a minute and not no time at all, but it is certainly disappointing for me and my family. Such is life and such is sport."

Lions head coach Woodward, who has installed Wales international Gareth Thomas as O'Driscoll's captaincy successor, added: "I think the tapes were conclusive. To me, there was plenty enough evidence.

"I am very disappointed the two players weren't even brought in to talk about it. You can still be cited and go to the hearing and be totally acquitted, but just to say nothing happened in that incident is, to me, an amazing decision to make."