Getting back to business

ANOTHER season dawns and Donncha O’Callaghan is ready for trench warfare once more. He may only be in his second week of pre-season but, if allowed, he says he’d line out in the morning if asked by Tony McGahan. But that won’t happen due to the diktat laid down by the IRFU to its Lions who won’t return until week four or five of the Magners League.

After the exigencies of his seven-week trek around South Africa, you can tell he’s enjoying being back amongst his own. The photo-shoot for the new Munster kit is going on in the main banquet hall of Thomond Park, and the wit assassins are back in town: Paulie (O’Connell), ‘Dunners’ himself, before the five modelling the shiny new kit are joined by another in Quinny (Alan Quinlan). Then the squad arrives for the official team photo. God only knows what they’re saying about the new red shorts when referencing O’Callaghan’s infamous choice of scarlet attire at the Arms Park in 2006.

He’s portrayed as the team joker, the prankster, the man who’s good for a laugh but there’s always been a serious side to O’Callaghan. On the field, he’s the work horse, the enforcer, “Ireland’s Bakkies Botha,” as Gert Smal (Ireland forwards coach) once described the 30-year-old lock forward.