O’Connell kicks heels in kitchen

THE new Jamie Oliver? Paul O’Connell mightn’t be an automatic selection for the kitchen, but his culinary creations and those of his Ireland team-mates figure in a new book of recipes, proceeds from which will go to the IRUPA Injured Players Fund.

For O’Connell it was a distraction from the frustration of missing out on the clash with New Zealand.

“It was disappointing, when I got the injury initially it didn’t look too serious, but I’m not trying to put dates on when it’ll come right any more, I’m not putting any more pressure on myself like that.

“It was frustrating to miss the game against the All Blacks, every time Ireland play New Zealand it’s a chance to make history. Last weekend was very disappointing; the All Blacks looked very good, but we made them look good as well.”

O’Connell had a good view of the All Blacks he’d have confronted.

“Jason Eaton looked good, though when you’re playing with a winning team it’s easy to look good. Ali Williams is a proven commodity, he’s probably one of the best second rows in the world.

“Donncha and Mal are coming up against another serious duo again tomorrow. I don’t know much about Hugh McMenamin but Nathan Sharpe is one of the best.”

O’Connell feels those are the games Ireland need to play.

“It’s tough, but you need to play these teams. Australia are playing New Zealand twice a year in the Tri-Nations, so those are high intensity games.”

Ireland have been hamstrung by injuries recently, but O’Connell feels that gives opportunities to fringe players: “We’ve a few players out - the likes of Reggie and Axel - so that’s a big change in the team. Denis Leamy was good last weekend and Andrew Trimble looks a good, abrasive player. Gusys are being picked on form, they should go in and try to the best they can from the first minute. We’ve set standards over the last four or five years, we have to keep those standards up.”

Talking of standards ... in the book of recipes O’Connell identifies his sporting hero as Roy Keane. The big lock warmed to his theme: “I’ve already agreed with everything he’s done. He might have handled the Irish situation differently in 2002 but I always felt he was following his instincts.

“Criticism and so on should be kept in-house, but up to that I agree with him. Keane didn’t expect bad standards from others because he wouldn’t accept it of himself.”

For the record, O’Connell picked kedgeree and chicken burger as his recipes: “We get certain food in our prematch buffet - the likes of basmati rice and haddock is what I’d usually have, the fish is a fine light protein.

“The book’s got a lot of those kinds of recipes - ones with high-protein foods - which isn’t surprising.

“Diet is massive in the modern game, you can’t just train two games a week and switch off for the rest of the week. You’re practically training from the moment you get up, you’re planning what you eat; our nutritionist gives us a plan of what we should be eating all the time as well, and we have to keep to that.”

O’Connell acknowledges that the injured players’ fund is a charity close to the Irish squad’s heart.

“As players we all know someone who’s had a bad injury - not just a bad one, but lads who are paralysed. It’s a great charity, the players trust, and I’d say people would probably buy the book anyway to support the charity, but it’s a very good book. It’s well done, with good easy recipes.”

l“Eating to Win: Irish Rugby Players’ Recipes Revealed” is available nationwide.