O’Connell first among equals

Paul O’Connell demonstrated just what a very special man he is on and off the pitch at the Stade de France on Saturday. As captain, leader, strategist and unrelenting ball carrier, the Young Munster man has no equal.

When Clare McNamara, RTÉ’s excellent post-match interviewer, suggested that this latest Six Nations Championship could not have been achieved without Joe Schmidt’s coaching expertise, he paused ever so slightly and pondered the question. Ordinary men, in the aftermath of such a nerve-wracking game, would have gone with the flow. But O’Connell gathered his thoughts before stressing that this hadn’t happened overnight.

“There was an excellent squad there and it was a case of putting it together and that was done on the back of other people like Deccie,” he pointed out.