Paul O’Connell lifted himself out of Ireland’s hotel into the Cardiff sunshine via the entrance ramp on crutches yesterday with the rest of his team-mates behind him. This was no way for it to end but at least he went out fighting and as a winner. It’s been emotional and, by all accounts, it has remained that way until the end.
Les Kiss is generally a pretty cool customer who doesn't show his emotions but when asked to reflect on working with Ireland's departing captain his tone became noticeably more hushed.
“The first word I can think of is ‘privilege’,” said Kiss after a thoughtful pause. “In reality, you can go to all the other parts of what he delivers but for me it was an absolute privilege. He is probably one of the true warriors of the game in every aspect. I’d say with him it is hard not to get emotional when you are talking about what he has delivered for us.
“To see the pain he had to go though in that last moment, it wasn’t nice,” added Ireland’s defence coach of the lengthy stoppage at the end of Sunday’s first half which culminated in O’Connell being carried off the pitch on a motorised stretcher.
“True to the man, he is up there at the moment, waiting around to go for his surgery, on his crutches, offering whatever he can to the group. He is selfless and, personally, he is up there with the greatest I have ever worked with.”
Whether or not he remains with the squad, as he did with the Lions two years ago, remains to be decided, according to Kiss. “Paul has got surgery planned for later this week; after that we’ll find out but the extent of anything will be determined by the surgeon post that. In terms of his involvement, from there on we won’t know until it happens.”
Kiss was unable to confirm whether O'Connell had torn his hamstring off the bone – as befell Cian Healy early last season sidelining him for five months – beyond echoing the IRFU statement that his Ireland Test career had been ended by "significant hamstring damage".
Absolute pleasure
Asked if O’Connell had made him a better player, Devin Toner nodded vigorously.
“One hundred per cent. I said throughout my career the two lads that have influenced me most are Leo [Cullen] and Paul because I have learned so much off the two of them over the course of my career. It has been an absolute pleasure to play with him.
“It’s hard to put into words. He was the leader of the team; he was the captain; he was the pack leader; he was the brains behind a lot of the forward play. For the team he is a massive loss but it has happened before that we have lost players going into games, it has happened that we have had to dig deep in our squad and we have a lot of confidence in our squad these days to pull through.”
In this way, whether in body as well as spirit, O’Connell’s presence will linger into Sunday’s quarter-final.
“Yeah, I think so. Everyone knew these were his last couple of games anyway. Because he is not there now lads will want to perform for him and make him go out on a high.”
The newly arrived Rhys Ruddock described O'Connell as "one of the most inspirational players I've played with and one of the most difficult players I've played against because he is just non-stop. He is all action, he gives one hundred per cent."
Describing the captain's injury as "very sad", Jack McGrath admitted: "Everyone was a bit down after the game. We've got the quality there with the guys who have come in – the likes of Dev, Iain Henderson and Donnacha Ryan.
“Coming into the squad a couple of years ago and seeing a guy like that, seeing what he has done, it’s amazing to have played with him. He’s such a normal bloke as well. Really a true warrior. Any time Paul has pulled on the Irish jersey he hasn’t left anything on the pitch. I think it would be a tragedy that if, as a group, it didn’t pull us tighter together.”
Under his wing
Recalling how O'Connell took him "under his wing", Robbie Henshaw said:
“He would give advice but he wasn’t too intense. He would always switch off and have a bit of craic with you around the dinner table. So I always loved that side of him. A true inspirational leader and obviously a massive loss.
“We will have to front up, we have great lads coming in who will have to take over. Any time he spoke he always managed to say the right thing; always something new. You would hear a pin drop. Everything was nailed on perfectly.
“Peter O’Mahony is another massive loss to our squad but it can drive us on and make us give a little bit more for the boys. It’s a very emotional day for everyone around the world, you can see it on Twitter – a true leader.”
Chris Henry commented: "It's a massive loss to lose Paulie and Pete, a vice captain as well, so while relieved the weekend went well, it is very, very sad to lose Paulie in that manner after what he has given to this country and having played for so many years. To not have him not coming out with us at the weekend is tough for him but gutting for all of us."
