O’Connell ‘honoured’ to join Irish centurions
The Munster legend will become part of a select century club in Cardiff today where he leads Ireland out for a crucial Six Nations clash with Wales.
O’Connell joins Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, and John Hayes as Irish rugby centurions, but stressed: “In some ways, your first cap is probably a more nerve-wracking experience. But it is a great honour and it’s a nice little group of Irish guys who have done it before that I’m joining, so I’m very honoured.”
One of that trio, O’Gara writes in today’s Irish Examiner: “Today, he will be more excited than many think about his 100th cap. There are times you take stock and consider what you’ve achieved. He’ll know there aren’t too many more days like this. When he went into [kit man] Patrick ‘Rala’ O’Reilly’s room last night and saw the jersey on the rail, maybe he had a little peep just to see what the three numbers on the jersey look like for Cap No. 100.”
O’Connell said: “I’m very competitive, that would be my biggest strength. I certainly can’t run over people or unlock defences with my footwork, or whatever, but I’m certainly very competitive. I enjoy being part of a team and helping drive teams on, trying to make them successful, and trying to get the best out of people. I’ve always enjoyed a leadership role whether I’ve been captain or not.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, currently in the US ahead of his annual visit to the White House for St Patrick’s Day, also had words of praise for O’Connell. “I congratulate him on his 100th cap tomorrow in Millennium Stadium and my words to the Irish rugby team from America is this: Go get ’em. We love the Welsh but [today] they are our mortal enemies on the way to taking out Scotland for the Grand Slam,” he said.
READ MORE: Ronan O’Gara will never forget the day he let Paul O’Connell down
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