George Kruis a huge fan of Paul O’Connell

A lot of players claim to be fans of Paul O’Connell. But his opponent on Sunday, England lock George Kruis, really means it. 

When O’Connell was Lions captain in South Africa in 2009 Kruis – then just 19 – was in the stands cheering him on.

The youngster had signed up for a three-month stint playing for Hamilton in Cape Town, the tall but lean lock deciding that it was time to toughen up in South Africa rather than Dorking.

As such he was perfectly placed to watch O’Connell lead the Lions in what turned out to be one of the finest series in recent history.

Six years on Kruis admits back then it was a very distant dream to be facing O’Connell on a regular basis, having already done so with Saracens earlier this season.

But as he looks ahead to Sunday’s pivotal Six Nations game in Dublin, Kruis can chart his development as a player to those days in South Africa, where he combined learning his trade with watching O’Connell demonstrate he was a master at his.

“I went down to South Africa with 10 mates from Dorking Rugby Club and we had three months playing for Hamilton,” he said.

“So when that Lions tour was happening I was watching him (O’Connell). I went to a few of the Lions games, the midweek ones. Playing against him was a very distant dream. I was just joining Saracens and was rather underweight (92kgs at the time) and not the best rugby player.

“It was about playing rugby in a different place. I had a lot of learning to do. I had learned at school you get places by working hard so I just thought I’d give it my best and see what happens.

"Certainly as a player, O’Connell is right up there. We have had Munster quite a few times in the pool stages of the Heineken Cup so I have a lot of respect for him. It is nice to play a guy three or four times, get an understanding of where he is from.

"The coaches know him from the Lions and have some insight from that. I have a huge amount of respect for him. He is a clear talisman for Irish rugby, and internationally a huge figure. I try and pride myself on the lineout, and he is definitely a leader in that department.”

Those trips to Munster taught Kruis about more than just O’Connell’s prowess, though. If England’s win in Cardiff was an eye-opener to many in terms of how to cope with hostility, Kruis says those trips to Thomond Park had the same effect on him.

“I remember going there for my first or second Heineken Cup game and seeing all these Munster flags in houses,” remembers Kruis.

“For me it was a big eye-opener of how they support teams in Ireland. It was huge. I guess going there as an international team it will be that much bigger.”