O’Connell revives European dream

It was only the quarter-final, but Munster’s Heineken Cup resurgence felt like so much more yesterday.

Pilloried by most, even pitied by some, rugby’s sages waxed nostalgically of the province’s once-great aura in Europe and waited for the ugly endgame.

Except nobody told the men heading for a 10th Heineken Cup semi-final. And, inspired by thousands of recession-defying supporters who turned London TW2 into a provincial pocket, nobody had the nerve to tell Paul O’Connell the dream had died.

“He is arguably one of the greatest second rows, if not the greatest second row, that Ireland has ever produced,” said crestfallen Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea after Munster’s 18-12 victory. “He was absolutely magnificent and as the team rallied around him you could see he was the focal point.”

Munster coach Rob Penney wasn’t arguing: “He is great, isn’t he? Everyone speaks about him in glowing terms and so they should. First and foremost he is a wonderful man. He sees things through other people’s eyes, and he has this understanding that makes everyone feel good to be around him. You couple that with his rugby ability and he is just a really complete man.”

O’Connell was tipped to make a big impression on June’s Lions tour to Australia, but his thoughts were with a 16-year-old closer to home.

O’Connell has grown close to Tralee teenager Donal Walsh, a rugby fanatic who moved the nation to tears on television on Saturday night as he detailed his battle with terminal cancer.

“I really like talking to him,” said O’Connell. “Even when I was injured I used to enjoy shooting the breeze with him because he’d give me a massive lift.”

Munster will meet tournament favourites Clermont-Auvergne in the Heineken Cup semi-final in Montpellier on April 27 at 6pm.