The blows of criticism aimed at Rob Howley over his coaching on the Lions tour were below the belt, according to Ireland hooker Rory Best.

Best’s Test teammate Sean O’Brien let rip at Howley last month when he claimed the Wales assistant coach failed to measure up on the summer tour of New Zealand.

O’Brien said senior players ended up running training sessions, rather than Howley, and that the Lions’ 1-1 shared series with the All Blacks should have been a triumphant 3-0 scoreline to the tourists.

Best did not offer much in the way of direct support to Howley at Monday’s launch of the European Champions Cup, but he did claim O’Brien was wrong to launch a personal attack.

“It’s his feelings but I don’t think he should have singled out one coach,” said Ulster and Ireland skipper Best.

“He didn’t single out anyone else one way or the other.

“From a forward’s point of view, I have a massive amount of respect for Steve Borthwick.

“What he did, the way he coaches, the way he prepares – he didn’t single him out the other way.

“Sometimes we just look at the negatives. Sean expressed an opinion. He probably shouldn’t have singled out one guy in particular.”

O’Brien said he made his comments because he wants the Lions to improve for the next tour – to South Africa in four years’ time. He also had a withering view of head coach Warren Gatland’s training schedule and highlighted a triple training session two days out from the first Test and an overloading of work in the week of the third Test.

Gatland has since asked a for a meeting with O’Brien to clarify his comments, but Howley has yet to respond.

Best, who captained the midweek team in New Zealand, is in no doubt that O’Brien took his complaints to the management.

“Look, Seanie is a very passionate character,” said the veteran hooker. “If he thinks something, he’ll get it out there.

“After the first Test, he felt like he was in the position he said he was – tired and over-trained.

“It’s hard for me to comment on that. I didn’t play in that game.

“I know how I like to feel going into Test matches. I wasn’t playing so I don’t know where I was. It was a really good bunch of boys and real quality there. I really enjoyed it.

“Part of what we had to achieve was keeping everyone together. Ultimately, if you get a reasonably happy mid-week team, they prepare the Test team. All that kind of worked well. You go on to see what NZ have done since…

“Sean, I have no doubt, that if that’s how he felt, that wasn’t the first time he’d said it.

“He’ll have said that to the coaches as well.