O’Connell looking forward to ‘weird’ Ravenhill experience

IRISH stand-in captain Paul O’Connell extended the hand of friendship across the border yesterday as he helped prepare his team for a first international in Belfast for 53 years when Ravenhill hosts the clash of Ireland and Italy.

Normally, O’Connell wouldn’t be the flavour of the month when donning the Munster jersey against Ulster at Ravenhill, as passionate a place in its own right as Thomond Park.

“It’s going to be a bit weird to have people cheering you instead of jeering you, but I always liked the place despite the stick we had to take in my couple of visits to the ground,” he said.