Evan following in family footsteps as latest second-row to roll off the O'Connell production line 

FAMILY INFLUENCE: Evan O'Connell. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Evan O’Connell isn’t the only kid pointed in the direction of a rugby club when he was still in pre-school but there was an air of inevitability about his path from there long before he turned into a strapping second row with the Munster academy and Ireland’s U20s.

His uncle you’ll have heard of, but Paul O’Connell isn’t the only blood relation in this picture. Evan’s father Justin was a lock in college and with UL Bohemians. His grandfather Paul hailed from Cork and played for Sunday’s Well before the switch to Limerick and Young Munster. No prizes for guessing what position he played in.

“He was a second row,” said Evan, “it runs very much in the family!” 

He grew up in Castletroy so Thomond Park always felt within touching distance. Three generations of them would make their way across the city time and again for Munster games and the bridge between that stage and his own ambitions has been built with no little help from family.

His dad coached him from the age of four all the way up through the ranks with club and school. Justin still coaches his son’s UL Bohs U20s side so it’s hardly a surprise to hear that the paternal presence was a major influence on his career and one that continues through to the present day.

“He has been a huge inspiration. He's always on to me. He's always there for me because he's coaching the (club) 20s. He's always trying to pick up stuff off me, you know, that I see as well. He is always great to encourage me and in calling me out if I'm doing anything wrong.” 

That guidance has been buttressed by others.

Munster’s policy of integrating their academy players with the senior squad through training weeks has allowed O’Connell to act the magpie there too. RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn are two of those who have been particularly helpful in teaching him the trade.

The lessons continued last week when, with the Six Nations taking a weekend off, the Ireland U20s trained with Andy Farrell’s squad at the high-performance training centre in Abbotstown. That meant nephew and uncle were operating literally on the same pitch. Again.

Paul O’Connell had coached his brother’s kid plenty of times before. There were Sunday and Thursday evening sessions with UL Bohs and other times when he shared his extensive knowledge with Evan and the rest of the cast and crew at Castletroy College. Imagine.

"Yeah, it's unreal. So we regularly chat and go over bits of video. Like, just last week he sent me a clip from the (Ireland) session with the seniors. And, you know, he is very good to me in that regard. He is always willing to help and just to have that level of coach available as your uncle to help you out is massive.” 

That privileged rugby education, for him and for the rest of Richie Murphy’s Ireland players, continues tonight in Treviso when an unchanged 23 will look to better a powerful and dangerous Italy team and take one more step towards a possible Six Nations Grand Slam.

The hosts have made a handful of changes, in terms of personnel and positions, from the side that lost by seven points in England. They will be eager to make up for that and the opening one-point loss at home to France when a clutch of missed kicks cost them a deserved victory in Treviso.