Murray Kinsella reports from Cardiff
THERE WAS A sense yesterday that the whole of Cardiff was in a hungover state after Sunday’s incredible events at the Millennium Stadium, and the ill feeling has extended into today with confirmation that Paul O’Connell’s Ireland career is over.
The man himself will be keen for the tributes not to dip into sycophantic prose and distract from Ireland’s preparation for a World Cup quarter-final, but one of the greatest Test players of them all deserves every eulogy coming his way.
Conversing with a shop assistant in Cardiff yesterday evening hammered home the point that Ireland are going to greatly miss O’Connell. Not that it really needed to be hammered home.
This man of East African origin has been a Cardiffian for 10 years now, but he never caught the rugby bug. That changed last week as the build-up to Ireland’s clash with the French completely captured his imagination. Something special here, he thought.
On Sunday, for the first time in his life, our friend sat down to watch a game of rugby. The rules confused him but he is now another World Cup covert. The brutality and flashes of skill he found exciting.
It’s going to be tough for Ireland now though, innit? All those injuries… the captain, the bald one?
We all know as well as our friend who was only watching O’Connell play for the very first time in an Ireland shirt, the last time too. Even the previously uninitiated can appreciate how much O’Connell brought to the table for his country.
All the greatest leaders have an aura around them, something intangible that comforts and inspires others. O’Connell has that in spades and will bring it to Toulon if and when he makes a recovery from this horrible hamstring injury.
Ireland’s other leaders will have to step up in his absence of course, and Joe Schmidt is fortunate that the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Rory Best, Rob Kearney, Johnny Sexton, Sean O’Brien and Conor Murray remain part of his World Cup squad.
In truth, former teammates and coaches will tell you better about O’Connell’s leadership value and the words that moved men to tears, but what we can say with certainty is that Ireland are losing a world-class lock.
O’Connell’s earlier days had seen him tagged as a man whose ball carrying ability was not a strength, but he has shown huge growth in that area even in the last two years. A mark of the man that he is constantly thirsty to add to his armoury. Better footwork and understanding of where to target the defensive line have seen him eat up more yards than ever.
It wasn’t coincidental that O’Connell’s injury came with him in the jackal position over the ball, searching for his latest steal. It’s an area where he has been pestering opposition for his entire career, his breakdown work always amongst the best in the squad.
At lineout and maul time too, Ireland will have to compensate hugely. The 35-year-old’s understanding and intelligence around the lineout in particular are legendary at this stage, his analysis work quite probably deeper than any other second row’s.
The positive is that O’Connell has been highly influential on Devin Toner in the last two years, working in a system that has sometimes seen the Leinster man make lineout calls even when his captain is on the pitch. Always planning for the eventual exit, it leaves Ireland in a good place.
Restart work is often overlooked in the assessment of a second row, but O’Connell excels here too. Again, Toner has grown as a regatherer of the kicks of Johnny Sexton and Ian Madigan, but O’Connell’s hungry chasing of the drop offs will be missed.
When it comes to cleaning away defensive bodies at ruck time, there is no other Irish forward like O’Connell. Technically excellent with a nice dollop of venom in his clearouts, the second row is almost always top of the charts in terms of volume of rucks hit.
There are many other areas where Ireland will lose out on O’Connell’s skill set and work rate, but the comfort is that Iain Henderson has shown at this World Cup that he is en route to being a global star too. Big shoes to fill, but the Ulsterman brings his own qualities.
If Ireland look to slot Henderson into the back row in place of the injured Peter O’Mahony, then Donnacha Ryan can expertly fill the locking void. Again, any comparison with O’Connell might be slightly unfavourable, but the Tipp man offers incredible fitness and carrying power to go along with his lineout and handling skills.
Coming into the World Cup, the consensus was that if Ireland were to lose O’Connell it was game over. That doesn’t quite appear to be the case right now, however. It’s certainly not how Ireland will be thinking about their latest blow.
Few will argue that Ireland are not worse off without him, but there are men ready to assume responsibility.
After masterminding an exceptional emotional high last weekend against the French – Ireland were almost rabid in their aggression – Joe Schmidt now has another powerful motivational tool in his hands.
Do it for Paulie, lads.
Donnacha Ryan, a man with recent injury woes behind him, will be a ravenous beast against Argentina.
Hendo has had the true master to learn his trade from and is on the road to becoming the natural successor to Paulie and leader of the future Irish team. Henderson to captain Ireland at the Irish Rugby World Cup in 2023
I was in the crowd. When the teams came out, O’Connell walked out with the mascot and talked with the young kid. Heaslip and some of the players came over just before the official photo to shake the kid’s hand and have a few words whilst Big Paul introduced them in turn. It was a fine touch. The French mascot was just kind of left standing in the middle of the field as Dusatoir leisurely strolled off into the middle of the park ignoring him.
The whole episode shows the measure of the man. Truly a gent and one with incredible humility. A particularly sound gesture to the mascot of the Irish team by O’Connell and a few of the lads. Makes you proud to be Irish.
If O’Brien does get a ban. Henderson at 6, Henry at 7 with Heaslip at 8 would put the shits up any of the teams left.
Henderson is absolutely on fire at the moment. Total confidence in the guy. We won a Six Nations with Henry when SOB was injured. I’d prefer to have Seanie there, but we’re still a very strong side if he’s out.
The loss of POC will only galvanise the squad, I am sure the attitude will be “do it for paulie” come the Argie Bargies match.
The least we could do is to get a winners medal for Paulie.
Murray, as always your articles are well written and bang on the money. He is a massive loss. Huge! But he has invested so much in our men that he is still on that pitch in them!
Toner would make a great window cleaner
Everest is about a bunch or men dying trying to climb Devin Toner.
When I read that “Do it for Paulie, lads” sentence at the end of the report I had to choke back a sob. Paulie inspires a nation.
He absolutely deserves all the accolades he’s receiving but if Kearney, sexton and heaslip take over the leadership mantle and drive the rest of the team on i think we have not lost much actual physical abilities on the pitch with Henderson and toner starting
I’m saying this with the utmost respect for the man
who are the leaders now though when you think of it!!best maybe!!?Ryan if he starts ,Murray, sexton maybe nobody really stands out of connells. o brien and pom are the heartbeat of team hope were not relying on heaslip last time he was captain doesn’t bare thinking about
personally I think it’s the loss of paulie and pom together is the problem. it’s not that we don’t have good replacements but it’s that drive and passion the lads bring as well as experience.hendo to 6 Henry 7 and heaslip 8. Ryan in at 4 and ruddock on the bench I think if we start OK against pumas we’ll be fine and could still take a bit of beating! !if not could lack the leadership to get out of it.what bout sexton if fit do you start him?? I thought he was an emotional wreck on Sunday
I thought Dave Foley would be the man to come in if any of the second rows got injured.
Do it for Paulie lads, do it for Paulie.
Dev has never let down his country when wearing green a real warrior him and ryan with Henderson at 6 for argies then Henderson and Dev hopefully for semi.
I’m worried that the emotion of beating France without some of our first team players will lead Ireland to underperform. It happened in 2011 where emotion got the better of us. It’s crap to lose POC and o’mahony but we need to focus on next week. Pumas look very good. The France match took its toll but there’ll be time for grieving later. Need for focus our attention at the job at hand. Tired of seeing Ireland underperform at the World Cup!
http://www.balls.ie/rugby/ireland-world-cup-stats/312271 impressive!