O’Shea still striving for the Q-mark at The Stoop

Criticism has been an all too regular companion for Conor O’Shea over the last two months.

It started when the Harlequins Director of Rugby decided to make Joe Marler his captain, with England skipper Chris Robshaw returning to the ranks.

That the decision was made in conjunction with the players and with England’s best interests at heart mattered little. Lawrence Dallaglio was vocal in his opposition, with O’Shea responding by saying the former England captain’s remarks were ‘rubbish’.

Then came the rugby. A shocking 39-0 home defeat by Saracens was followed by a defeat at Exeter that led O’Shea to admit he was ‘embarrassed’, by far the strongest criticism he has made of his charges during over four years at the Stoop.

Yet when we meet the 43-year-old at Harlequins’ training ground this week he seems relaxed, faith restored after a 52-0 win over Premiership whipping-boys London Welsh and a bonus-point defeat at Leicester.

But ahead of last night’s kick-off against Castres, it is fair to ask whether O’Shea’s self-belief has been shaken by the first genuinely sustained criticism he has received during his time in charge. The answer from a man who many expect to one day end up Ireland coach is ‘not a bit of it’.

“People go for cheap, lazy headlines as it grabs the attention,” says O’Shea. “I’d like to see some of the people who actually talk about us get off their behinds and come down and watch a training session. I don’t know when they last did that. To trot out populist stuff for a headline is an irrelevance for me. Anyone can hindsight coach and tell you they’re right all the time.

“We haven’t hit our straps yet but we will as we have too many good players not to. Our players are under no pressure in terms of results, I’ll take that pressure on. I just want us to play with real ambition. If you look back over the years and think it’s plain sailing then you’re delusional.”

It is impassioned, stirring stuff from O’Shea, a man who rarely bares his teeth but never fails to find the jugular when he does.

But while he is looking forward it is too tempting not to look back. O’Shea’s experiences of the tournament as a player demonstrate how the tournament has evolved from the amateur days to those of professionalism.

When Harlequins face Leinster in December, O’Shea will remind his hometown province that he scored their first ever try in European rugby in front of 600 souls in Milan some 19 years ago. The full-back then signed for London Irish but continued to return for Leinster’s Heineken Cup games as they reached the semi-finals before losing to Cardiff.

“You ask how the game has evolved and that’s it,” he laughs. “I played in two different competitions for two different clubs in two different countries. Amazing!

“I even scored the first try for Leinster in European rugby history in Milan back in 1995 and played in that semi-final; it was just the way things worked back then. I grew up in Dublin and played for Leinster at junior level through to senior level. That’ll be emotional (when Harlequins face them).”

And as a proud Irishman, O’Shea delights in the state of the game back home. He was touted for the Ireland job when Declan Kidney departed before swiftly ruling himself out, with Joe Schmidt making quite an impression during his first 18 months in charge.

“I was so happy that Joe got in there, I think he will be unbelievable for Irish rugby,” says O’Shea.

“Irish rugby is in rude health. Connacht are doing well, Ulster have started really well and Munster have their mojo back.

“Leinster are one of the top sides but they have a few injuries, like we do. It is attritional. That is my greatest concern for the game – the physicality of it. We need to make sure there is still a place for the likes of Danny

“The Premiership will be horrific all year and we’ll see who is there at the end of it, but Europe is different, loads of one-off games. My fellows love one-off games and kicking this competition off is fantastic.

“As for us, until we discover our swagger, which we will, I am just telling the players to get out there and play with real abandon.

“Mentally weak people falter when the challenge comes on. The strong personalities kick on.”