Master lock key to Irish success

WHEN Ireland turned England over in Twickenham last year, the focus was on the performance of the second row in green.

Fast forward 12 months, and following Ireland's win over Scotland, Malcolm O'Kelly and Paul O'Connell were again singled out as the engine room of the team.

Those are the performances that led to Limerick man O'Connell modelling adidas gear in London recently, but no matter how high he climbs in the world of rugby, he'll keep his feet on the ground. Sometime Ireland captain and a possible leader of the Lions, the Munster stalwart has come a long way since Declan Kidney invited the Young Munster man onto his extended training panel four years ago.