O’Connell: Things a lot quieter now

It’s seven years ago now but people just won’t let Paul O’Connell leave it behind.

The first ever game of rugby (or soccer) at Croke Park, France await and the Ireland lock is fit to explode. Luckily, a camera crew is on hand to capture the tension and anticipation bottled up in the dressing-room underneath the Hogan Stand.

“Listen to me now,” O’Connell says. “Listen to me. I want them to stand back thinking ‘what the fuck is going on here?’ Not for the first five minutes, for the entire game. Fucking manic aggression. Do you scare anyone? Do you put the fear of God into anyone?”