Tributes to Paul O'Connell from the stars who played with and against him
What's the first thing you think of when you hear the name Paul O'Connell?
“I think of a player who has spanned the ages, starting out playing All-Ireland League rugby with Young Munsters in a tough pack alongside Ger Earls, the three Clohessys, Paco, Peter Meehan, coming on to the Munster team with me and then winning his first Ireland cap (when Galwey was captain). It's remarkable to me that he's winning his 100th cap and his consistency has never faltered, which makes him one of the greats. He made a success of the professional era and he's probably the only professional left to have played AIL when it was at a meaningful level.”
Role model
“He's a world class player and I don't think I would be the player I am today without having played with him.
"I've learned so much from all the second rows I've played with, especially Leo Cullen and Paul O'Connell. He's a massive leader in the squad, just a massive player on the pitch and players look up to him.
"Just to get to 100 caps is a huge testament to how he's looked after himself and to play at the top level for that long is unbelievable. I'm just delighted to have been able to have played with him."
Orator
“Paul was able to have the whole room in the grasp of his hand and then be able to go out and back it up. I think he learnt a lot of his oratory skills from Mick Galwey, who was a fantastic speaker. A lot of people can roar and shout and give great team talks and there's some captains who might not be able to give a good speech but who can excel on the field but to match fine oratory with a performance to match, Paul would be very unique to do both. He was able to do as he said beforehand by going out and smashing it on the pitch.”
Honesty
“About 20 things jump into your head but the honesty he brings to the jersey is something that makes him the player he is. Even if he's making mistakes it doesn't stop him trying harder. He's got an honesty around what he has to deliver for the team – I remember being involved with Ireland against France in 2013 when we drew 13-all in Paris and he played most of the second half with a damaged knee but you wouldn't have thought it. He put himself out for others and it epitomises him. It will be hard to fill those shoes and hopefully that won't be for another few years but it's recognised throughout rugby, that honesty and endeavour in him.
Inspiration
“He puts everybody ahead of himself and that's what makes him the guy he is. Irish rugby has been so successful in recent years for a few reasons and he's certainly up there as one of them, and one of the best players of his generation.. He's the most hard-working, dedicated guy in whatever teams he plays with and one of the reasons why Munster and Ireland have been so successful over the period he has been donning the red and the green. It's his relentless drive to improve himself and the teams he plays in and whether he's captain or not, he's the sort of fella that people look to, regardless. He ultimately is the leader and the guy people look for all the time.
“For anybody to be getting capped 100 times is some achievement but for a guy like him, a front-five forward that plays the way he does and gets through the amount of work he does to get to that level of performance is a phenomenal achievement. And he's still playing as well as ever and if he wants to go on I'm sure he will be able to go on because he's still as hungry as ever for success.”
Security
“He's a winner and a standard bearer but having been in the same environment as him for seven years, if you see him standing beside you before a game and out on the field he brings you that security that things are going to be okay and you're going to find your way through it because he'll be leading us from the front.
He has an unbelievable presence for those around him, and for younger players he's like having a father beside you in a really tough environment. He makes his team-mates want to play better than what they are probably able to deliver by themselves and so that gives you the security, a sense of comfort that things are going to be okay no matter what the opposition are throwing at you.”
What a captain should be
“I’ve had the honour of touring and playing with the big man and he’s a legend. On the field and in the dressing room, he is the embodiment of what a rugby captain should be.
He’s a huge physical specimen but is so well spoken. He doesn’t scream and shout. He’s articulate, well-mannered and everyone listens. Thankfully I’ve never been on the wrong-end of a grilling from him. I would have run a mile if he had.
He’s also a great tourist off the pitch. We shared a room and he’d even wake me up with coffee, what a roomie! And given the difference in size between us, I wouldn’t dare tell him in the morning that he snored!
He will stand alongside Willie John McBride among the legends of Irish rugby. I can’t remember seeing him have a poor game and I’m sure, being such a competitor, that there will still be plenty more games to come.
Team player
O’Connell is someone with whom you associate words like iconic and talismanic but he is the ultimate team player.
I remember he said it was the job of a tight-forward to make other people look good and he has been doing that for Ireland since he has had the jersey. That highlights his drive and determination for the team above any individual glory.
I’ve been fortunate to play alongside him on a few occasions in some pretty big games and he is all for the team. He doesn’t speak for the sake of it. There is meaning in everything he says and he has a CV that speaks for itself. He would definitely be up there as one of the top players in the northern hemisphere during the time I have been playing the game.
World class
He has developed over the years into a world-class second row. As far as the modern-day, professional era is concerned he has to be right up there as the greatest lock Ireland has ever produced.
Technically, he has always been superb at the line-out, but he also developed his game around the field to become a crucial ball carrier and defender.
Cool-headedness - I don’t know of anyone who can rise above the emotion of the moment more than O’Connell. He always keeps his composure and manages a game tremendously well. He is always in control at key moments of games to make the big calls.
He has that hard and abrasive edge about his play without crossing the line and that is why he is so well respected by players, coaches and referees.
He is obviously great in the lineout but he is bigger and far more important to Ireland than just that.
He has been there and done it but still has that incredible hunger and passion for the game which would make him a pleasure to work with.
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