Paul O’Connell keeps emotions in check

A nation will shed one giant tear come October when Paul O’Connell peels off an Ireland jersey for the last time, but the legendary lock is refusing to engage in the emotional build-up ahead of the Rugby World Cup that will bring the curtain down on his international career.

O’Connell’s worth has never been underestimated, with Munster or the national team, but his continued importance to the latest assault on the global event was only franked further last night when he was confirmed as the 2015 Guinness Rugby Writers Player of the Year.

It was an award that also highlighted the sheer breadth of O’Connell’s excellence in those two iconic jerseys given it was way back in 2006 when he received the accolade for the first time.