Tommy O'Donnell: 'I’d miss the craic in the changing room, that kind of stuff but the physicality and the training elements, no. Not yet, anyway.'

Former Munster and Ireland star Tommy O'Donnell Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

The last time Exeter Chiefs came to Thomond Park, Tommy O’Donnell just about kept his shoulder in one piece to reach the interval before he was forced to call it a day. This afternoon, the former Munster and Ireland back-row should be in good enough shape to take centre stage at the interval.

“I tried to tackle Jonny Hill, so I learnt that lesson,” O’Donnell joked of his premature end to that January 2019 pool game, which Munster edged 9-7 to progress to the quarter-finals.

A similar outcome, minus the injury, would do him nicely this afternoon when his old side bids to claw back a 13-8 deficit in the second leg of their Champions Cup Round of 16 clash with the Englishman. This time O’Donnell will happily take his seat in the stands, 11 months removed from his playing career.

“I’m enjoying the fan aspect of it. Walking up to the stadium and there’s no nerves involved with the performance. Nothing’s on me.” 

The openside flanker played his 187th and final game of a 15-year stint with Munster in an empty stadium last May but today the retired Tipperary man will return to take his bow as he and fellow stalwart Billy Holland are presented to the 20,000-plus crowd at half-time in recognition of considerable services rendered.

They made their debuts together in 2007 and both retired at the end of last season. It takes a lot to let go after such a long time at the coalface of professional rugby but both have new careers up and running and O’Donnell, 35 next month, could not be busier if he added another day to the week.

An MBA from the University of Limerick is a thesis from completion, and his business career with a water purification company is taking off so there is something of the workaholic about him also taking on the UL Bohemians head coach role in All Ireland League 2A in addition to a home life consumed by young children.

“It’s been busy. Playing was a great excuse to tell people ‘no’,” O’Donnell joked when the Irish Examiner sat down with him.

“And when I didn’t have playing I said ‘yes’ to a lot of things. It’s been busy but I’ve finished the in-person college part so I just have the thesis to do now, the AIL will be finishing up, and then I can start to get my weekends back.” 

He is at the sharp end of everything he does, it seems, not least the new day job, fronting the imminent launch of Ona, sustainable sparkling water and boiling water taps for homes and the hospitality industry among other sectors. O’Donnell started last September and describes the role as “bringing the expertise in water filtration and taking it to the point of use in a sustainable way, reducing plastic bottled water”.

“It’s everything from business development at the far end, finding people to supply them and stock them, all the way to visiting suppliers, going out to Italy and meeting suppliers there. So it’s been very interesting being able to apply the whole MBA across it, as both a product owner and the sales person as well while also having the backing of a big international company.” 

Such has been the workload that O’Donnell only returned to Thomond Park for the first time since his final game against Cardiff last May 25 when Leinster came to Limerick a fortnight ago. He is optimistic for a better outcome this time when Exeter take to the field this afternoon but would he rather be out there?

“Weeks like this I sometimes miss it. Sitting in the stands the other day, watching the lads play and how fit and how strong they were looking, I was like, ‘no, I don’t miss that part’.

“I’d miss stuff like the bus journey into Thomond Park, the craic in the changing room, that kind of stuff but the physicality and the training elements, no. Not yet, anyway.” 

Professional coaching is not on O’Donnell’s horizon but if there was to be a role for him in the paid ranks he graced for so long, earning both Munster’s Academy Player of the Year in 2009 and Player of the Year in 2013 in addition to featuring in two Six Nations-winning campaigns for Ireland, it will be in player development, he said.

Of course, giving young players their opportunities has been a live topic in Munster given the wealth of talent emerging from the academy of late which O’Donnell was delighted to see excel in that epic win at Wasps in December, while fellow back-rower Alex Kendellen has also impressed him, though he will have to settle for a place on the bench this afternoon.

“If the next couple of weeks go well it gives more opportunity because the whole squad has to be involved and has to get game time. Success against Exeter and moving onto the next stage, that will keep lads involved and keep the whole squad happy.

“Seeing young players like Alex, it’s fantastic to see his development. When he came in last year you knew he was a special kind of player, the strength of him and the mindset, so it’s fantastic to see him over the course of that year now coming on against Leinster and starting against Exeter and standing out for Munster.

“He took the fight to Leinster and got a couple of turnovers and just lived in the fight. He’s the kind of guy who’ll bring other lads with him as well. He flattened Caelan Doris at one point and it was fantastic to see him not awed by the moment.

“Patrick Campbell as well, another similar guy and it’s really great to see them leading. Alex led the Irish 20s (in 2021) and Patrick has been leading by example in the Under-20s this year and it’s great to see them coming through from a Munster point of view, it bodes really well for the future.”