Fittingly, Peter Clohessy's party-piece in the wee hours is My Way, and of the zillion versions of that song it can safely be said that the Claw's - bellowed out with unbridled gusto - is truly unique, writes Gerry Thornley

As he faces his final curtain in international rugby in Paris today, respect has finally come his way and no one has earned it more. Indeed, no one but he and his wife Anna will ever know what prompted him to step over the line in his earlier, wilder days, nor the depths from which he re-emerged.

Reaching the half-century milestone will assure him of a place in the pantheon of great props. No longer, perhaps, the fearsome scrummager of yore, his bursts in the loose, excellent handling skills, tackling and most of all his mental toughness have shone through.

"Anyone who achieves over the 50-cap mark in international rugby brings something special to the game," Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan said with due respect yesterday. "I think they broke the mould with Peter and he's an amazing character. He will leave a big, big hole in the team when he goes and it's a big pair of shoes to fill, not just from a rugby point of view but from a personality and a leadership point of view."

Earlier in the week, Clohessy spoke about this being just another game. With anyone else you'd say they were lying through their teeth, but with the Claw, of all people, it's just possible that he was telling the truth. He could become shrouded in a red mist, albeit more so in times past than of late, but he rarely seems to get remotely misty eyed about the game.

Nonetheless, he'll be itching to go out with a big one. All the more so against the French. Some readers of this paper took offence to comments he made about his general dislike of the French at the outset of this championship and, not exactly being one of life's diplomats, he hasn't striven to disguise his feelings this week either.

It's as if he revels in goading them and, whereas others might be intimidated, his fellow players reveal that the inevitable whistling and jeering that comes his way on French grounds only brings the best out in him. Deep down, he quite likes it.

Inevitably, there will be a cacophony of whistles when his name is announced one last time at the Stade de France today, but it wouldn't be altogether surprising either that there might be some grudging admiration and respect for the old warrior when he takes his final bow. Why he even granted L'Equipe an interview for a final tribute today which is appropriately entitled: Notre meilleur enemi.

Keith Wood spoke earlier in the week about how Clohessy looked after him in his first days in international rugby, and if you ever wanted someone alongside you in a bunker it would be the Claw. When the going gets tough, Clohessy gets going.

Wood has also likened the Claw to a dinosaur, a throwback to the old roguish amateur days. It's a phrase that's perhaps used a mite too glibly, but verily it can be said of Peter Clohessy, we'll never see his like again.