Staying focused key to Ireland's success, says Paul O'Connell

For all the heights Paul O’Connell scaled as a player for Munster, Ireland, and the British & Irish Lions, he was never part of a team as consistently successful as this Irish team

KEY COG: Forwards coach Paul O'Connell after an Ireland rugby media conference at Complexe de la Chambrerie in Tours. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

For all the heights Paul O’Connell scaled as a player for Munster, Ireland, and the British & Irish Lions, he was never part of a team as consistently successful as the Irish team he now coaches.

Those heights were sporadic, particularly at World Cups, with the former lock a part of sides that notched famous pool victories over Australia at Eden Park in 2011 and France in Cardiff four years later, a win scarred by a career-ending hamstring injury on his 108th and final Ireland appearance.

Now Ireland’s forwards coach, O’Connell is part of a management set-up under Andy Farrell that has presided over an Irish-record 16 consecutive wins ahead of Saturday’s crucial Pool B clash with Scotland and if they are to be part of a World Cup-winning run, that streak will need to extend to a world-record 20 matches.

Such records do not happen by accident and he explained on Wednesday how this Ireland squad has been able to back up win after win for such an extended period, dating back to the 2022 tour of New Zealand when their most recent defeat came back in Auckland in the first test at Eden Park.

“Probably the most important bit is that they don't get too far ahead of themselves,” O’Connell said. “They are good at staying in the moment and being present and focusing on just what's in front of them.

“I know it sounds cliché but it is something we talk about and they talk about a lot. I think as well, we know what we stand for as a team and how we want to play and how we want to do a lot of things in the game.

“They're getting better and better and better at seeing those pictures, whether it's the maul or whether it's the ruck or whether it's the attack or the defence, we haven't had a lot of change. We've probably evolved more than changed and that helps with consistency. It's not cliché when they come in here and say it, they are just focused on getting better. 

"We talk about winning for sure now and again but the focus is all about improving, getting better, they work with (performance coach) Gary Keegan on their mental stuff, they work with Gary Keegan as well on their preparation and how they can find little slots to improve the little skill bits in their games as well.

“They work with the coaches individually. I know I enjoyed it towards the end of my career, that focus on improving and focus on getting better rather than the focus on winning things. You have to acknowledge that there might be something to win on a tour or in a Six Nations or a World Cup or whatever but the easiest way to get there is about getting better and just improving and they do live that, it's not just cliché to them.” 

Another key element, O’Connell advanced, was understanding what it means to pull on that green jersey and represent their country on the biggest stages.

"I think being able to not rely massively on emotions is a big part of it. It's always a big strength of ours how much the lads love playing for Ireland, how important the history of the team is, you would have seen that during the Six Nations where we had a great week before we played France where we had a discussion about the anthems.

"The lads love playing for each other, they love playing for Ireland, they love pulling on the jersey and what it means and all that. That’s kind of the icing on the cake now rather than the whole cake.

“I think probably in fairness it would have come in under Joe (Schmidt) and that ability to focus just on what's right in front of you and not what's too far ahead of you.

"I think they've a big appetite around just getting better and improving, both individually and as a group and when you get into just getting better, when the focus is all about getting better, you acknowledge the significance of what might happen if you win a game at the weekend for sure but you're kind of able to ignore it a little bit then as well."