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Ireland's new forwards coach, Paul O'Connell. Dan Sheridan/INPHO

'Paul O'Connell has an aura, a presence - he's a world class operator'

Munster and Ireland prop Dave Kilcoyne has outlined the impact the former Lions captain has had in Ireland camp.

DAVE KILCOYNE IS 32, an international player since 2012, winner of 39 caps, yet still considered the coming man.

It’s a tag he’s anxious to shift, even if he’s too cautious or polite to say as much. He, more than any of us, is fully aware that only eight of those 39 caps have been starts and only two of those, against Italy and Russia in 2019, were games with something on the line.

If he was unfortunate enough to overlap his career with Cian Healy and Jack McGrath then he was even more unlucky to pick up a nasty ankle injury at a time when he was about to skip to queue and take over from Healy as Ireland’s No1.

Five months later, he’s back, fully rehabilitated, promoted to the chair of the squad’s social committee but now seeking a bit more responsibility than just being someone who sorts out the music and the popcorn.

“Like everyone else in here, I want to be starting for Ireland and contributing to the team as best I can to help them win the Six Nations,” he said earlier today. “That is everyone’s goal in here. The injury is no excuse – it hampered me earlier on but I have a couple of games under my belt now (since finishing his rehab). I will be trying to get better every day and trying to win this competition.”

What a player wants and what he gets often end up being conflicting things, though.

For some time now he has been considered a better bet for the loosehead position than Healy – but the Leinster man is a survivor, while Kilcoyne’s capacity for producing big performances off the bench have left him pigeon-holed as what Eddie Jones describes as an ‘ideal finisher’.

“Ultimately it is the coaches who decide what your role is. One thing I will say, though, is that over the years, whether it is a team winning grand slams or one just completing the Six Nations, that you rarely see the same starting XV on the final day as the first day.

“So whatever my role is, I will be giving that 100 per cent and contributing to the team as best I can.”

paul-oconnell-dave-kilcoyne-and-damien-varley O'Connell and Dave Kilcoyne chat together during their time at Munster. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Helping him make that contribution will be Paul O’Connell, newly installed as forwards coach, a former team mate of Kilcoyne’s, and also – like Craig Casey – a product of the same school, Ardscoil Rís, in Limerick.

“Paul is a world class operator,” said Kilcoyne, “someone who has done it all in rugby, captained Lions tours, Ireland, won Heineken Cups, I’m not going to go through his entire CV here, but his presence alone gets the best out of people.

“You want to gravitate towards those people and learn off them – because his level of detail on everything is spot on. He always had an aura and a presence – I played with him right the way through Munster, and he is just a phenomenal leader.

“Needless to say then, he is adding massively to the environment, not just in coaching. When he talks, everyone listens.”

Originally published at 14.07

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    Mute Daithí O' Donnabhain
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    Jan 29th 2021, 3:03 PM

    Really hope POC can jump start the line out & maul & turn them back into attacking platforms again. Will be interesting to see where the pack are at the end of the 6 nations.
    Will certainly enjoy the ride.

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    Mute Mark Smith
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    Jan 29th 2021, 8:24 PM

    I have never met anyone who considers him a better bet to start at loose head than Cian Healy

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    Mute Dan Jones
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    Jan 29th 2021, 8:26 PM

    @Mark Smith: he’s better off the bench anyway he has that explosive ball carrying ability for the last 20.

    Seems to have banished that wildness he had when he was younger as well.

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    Mute Sea__Point
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    Jan 29th 2021, 11:01 PM

    @Mark Smith: agreed, outside of Munster that is not remotely true. There was a time where Jack McGrath was the leading loosehead in the country, and Healy rediscovered his mojo again as McGrath went off the boil post Lions tour. But despite the cool nickname “Killer’s” best form has been with Munster not Ireland…

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    Mute Stephen Garry
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    Jan 29th 2021, 11:44 PM

    @Mark Smith: Cian Healy has been a great servant but is on the slide.Kilcoyne’s form before his injury was very good and his scrummaging has improved over the years.If given the chance I do believe he will displace Healy as number 1

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    Mute Philip Dunne
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    Jan 30th 2021, 11:01 AM

    @Stephen Garry: he won’t. The Leinster assembly line of Academy developed talent will just produce another prop. Or Porter will fill that slot. “Killer” has had enough chances and not delivered at the level expected unfortunately.

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    Mute SomeGuy
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    Jan 30th 2021, 11:43 AM

    @Mark Smith: I 100% believe that he should’ve started ahead of Healy at the last World Cup. Form for Munster and Ireland were ahead of Healy’s without doubt. That being said, the difference was marginal with Kilcoyne being maybe 10% a better option. With Healy’s history, experience, and earned trust, he wasn’t going to be dropped for a 10% differential. Who knows if Kilcoyne could’ve finally displaced him after the RWC as his injuries curtailed him along with Healy actually improving. Still, it’s an amazing situation we find ourselves in to have no real loss of talent if our incumbent is injured.

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    Mute Carmine Lorenzo
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    Jan 30th 2021, 10:59 PM

    @Mark Smith: Agreed. ‘Killer’ got destroyed by England when he came on last Feb despite being in the “form of his life.” It very much remains to be seen whether he is cut out for the international game.

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    Mute Trev Mooney
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    Jan 30th 2021, 8:35 AM

    Paul is world class, can’t wait to see the result of his input, true leader on and off the field. Let’s give him a bit of time and see if we get the line out motoring and add some new dimensions to our game.

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