Team-mates in awe as Paul O’Connell truly leader of the pack

For Mike Ross, it was as a Munster U20s player. For Devin Toner, it was as a lineout rival in an interprovincial derby. 

Whatever the circumstance, Paul O’Connell made a telling first impression on his Ireland pack-mates.

Prop Ross and lock Toner will line up behind their captain in Cardiff on Saturday as O’Connell wins his 100th cap for Ireland, 13 years after his try-scoring Test debut against Wales.

Both are as impressed now with the former Munster and Lions skipper as they were when their paths first crossed.

“When he was playing for Young Munster, I was over in Fermoy playing in Junior 2 or something like that,” Corkman Ross said yesterday.

“The first time I came into contact with him was when I was at a Munster U20s training session. He has always stood out. I remember watching him take the park for a pre-season friendly.

"He was coming on for Mick O’Driscoll. He was an impressive physical specimen even then. Then he makes his debut against Wales and scores a try that he doesn’t remember (due to a concussion).

“He has always made an impression whenever he gets the chance. It’s a testament to the career he has had and the esteem in which he’s held that he will now get his 100th cap. He is always looking for more at training sessions.

"He was at training this week questioning me on what bind feels best in a particular scrum. Even now he is still looking for new things.

“He always led from the front. He might look a bit mad on the sidelines but he’s always got this calm head. If things are going tough, going south, Paulie is a good man to bring everything back under control.”

For O’Connell’s latest Test second row partner Toner, now 28, the perspective comes not as a newcomer making a daunting introduction to national camp but as a young Leinster player facing an already established international in a 2010 derby between red and blue.

“It was more intimidating playing against him for the first time because I didn’t really fancy it, to be honest...

“It was my first game against Munster and I think Cheiks was the coach and I was coming up against Paul. It was (intimidating) because Paulie’s Paulie, was he Lions captain at that stage?

“I’m not sure, but he was a Lions second row. I don’t know if I was calling the lineouts or not but when you call a lineout when you know Paulie’s there and you know he’s put a lot of work into your lineout and he probably knows where you’re going to go, it’s pretty off-putting.

"I was young then and pretty inexperienced calling lineouts as well so from what I remember he picked off a fair few.”

The aura remains with Toner, who believes O’Connell’s drive for high standards are just as intense as head coach Joe Schmidt’s.

“Yeah, it is intimidating. He’s kind of like Joe, in that you need to know your detail or he gets on top of you. That’s a hugely good thing, more players should be doing it. He’s driven standards along as well with Joe.

“I think Joe’s brought Paulie along as well. Paulie’s standards, as high as they were, have just gotten better with Joe and the two of them just drive the squad. You don’t want to disappoint either of them.”

Leinster hooker Sean Cronin believes evergreen O’Connell can still scale new heights ahead.

“I think he’s getting better with it even as the years go on,” said Cronin.

“He’s the kind of player that, whenever he’s playing, he nearly makes you play better because that’s the enthusiasm, the passion, the physicality that he brings. He kind of instils that in the players around him, it’s great to play under him.

“He sets the standard and you’ve got to get up there with him.”

Cronin acknowledged the legend around O’Connell bringing team-mates to tears with his unbridled pre-match passion — but admitted the Munster stalwart’s rhetoric far more fearsome than emotive.

“I’ve nipped out a couple of times to dot the eyes during his talks!” joked Cronin of myths O’Connell can invoke raw emotions.

“No, but seriously, he scares me more than makes me cry, to be honest with you. He brings a certain level, you see him doing it, his intensity, physicality, attention to detail.

“So when you see him doing that, you’re saying to yourself ’I need to get to that as well’.

“If 15 or 23 lads get to that level, we’re hard to beat.”