U20 Six Nations: O’Sullivan: Paul O’Connell and Noel McNamara told us to believe

The entertainment from Bordeaux’s Stade Chaban-Delmas wasn’t restricted to events on the pitch last Friday.

Large tracts of the Ireland U20s’ 34-24 loss to their French counterparts were soundtracked by Paul O’Connell, whose unmistakeable voice was picked up by the TV mics as he took in the eight-try Six Nations opener from the coaches’ box.

It was as educational as much as it was fun. A rare window into the emotions and thought processes of those charged with preparing teams at that level, and into the mind of a man whose every move in the dugout was already being followed closely.

What those watching from their couches or bar stools weren’t privy to were the discussions in the Irish dressing room at half-time, as O’Connell and the other coaches addressed a torturous first-half that left them trailing 22-3. In 2007, before the first rugby game in Croke Park, against the French, O’Connell was, famously, filmed addressing the troops in the sheds, delivering his ‘fear of God’ speech. He was less hyperbolic here.

“He actually didn’t say a whole lot,” said Ireland No 8 Jack O’Sullivan. “They were just saying believe in ourselves. They knew we didn’t perform as best as we could. They just wanted us to go out and do our best.”

That squares with other takes on O’Connell’s work with Noel McNamara’s U20s since joining the setup as a de facto forwards coach in the new year: A man far more considered than that speech, which he has in the past admitted to regretting.

More regrets were gathered in Bordeaux.

If only Ireland hadn’t started so slowly and so poorly. If only their defence, handling and passing weren’t all off. Their aggression in contact, as well. Only some of that can be explained by the fact that nine of the XV were making their debuts at the grade.

Fourteen of the matchday 23 had featured on the U19s’ two-game tour to France last April, when they were shell-shocked by the hosts in the first game, but significantly better prepared for the physicality levels in the second, though they also lost.

The hope is that this U20s class has put its difficult induction to the grade behind them and are ready to build on the second-half performance against the French, which saw them trail by just three points at one stage. It’s also worth remembering that this is a level higher and tougher than most of them have been before. O’Sullivan’s pedigree, for example, is unquestioned: Captain of the Presentation Brothers College team that won the Munster Schools Cup last year, the Douglas forward has since graduated to the Munster academy.

Playing for Ireland in place of the injured and highly-rated Caelan Doris, he has featured in two ‘A’ games with the province. Both were against Bedford Blues, off the bench, in games that featured the likes of Tommy O’Donnell, Mike Sherry, and Robin Copeland.

Even that, though, didn’t compare to Bordeaux.

“It was quicker than B&I. It took a bit of getting used to.”