Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I HAD T ANSWER IRISH CALL Turn job down – I’d have died wondering
O’connell: It would have been a Gaff to
“He said he didn’t want to die wondering,” said O’connell yesterday.
The Ireland great felt the exact same when, in the aftermath of the Autumn Nations Cup, Andy Farrell got in touch to ask him if he would become his new forwards coach.
“If Andy hadn’t picked up the phone to me I probably would have moved on happily,” said O’connell, who had ruled out a return to top level club coaching after a shorter than expected stay at Stade Francais.
“But when he did, I felt it was something that I would have regretted refusing, even though it meant I had to get the skates under me and start preparing very quickly.”
A lot has been placed on the shoulders of the 41-year-old, and the players haven’t been shy in bigging up what he can bring to the party.
O’connell’s former Munster team-mate David Kilcoyne has already spoken of the ‘aura’ and ‘presence’ that ‘world-class operator’ O’connell has added.
“Most of them I know a long time, I don’t think they look at me like that,” he said. “They probably say nice things in the media because they have to.
“I hope they appreciate how much the job means to me, to be involved in an Irish rugby team, to be involved in selecting Irish players.
“Andy picks the team – but we’re involved in selecting Irish players to wear an Irish jersey – it’s a pretty big responsibility for me.
“I think the players will appreciate that and I just have to be as honest as I can with them, I have to be constructive in my relationships with them and in my feedback with them.
“That’s what they want. They don’t want anything else.
“Any one of the players, and there are a few that I don’t know particularly well here, any preconceived notions they have of me hopefully won’t last long once they get to know me.
“I’m sure there will be challenges down the line when you have to have difficult conversations with people but Andy has said over and over again, players just want you to be honest with them and if you’re wrong, hold your hand up.
“That’s what I intend to do. I don’t intend to make a big coach-player relationship with them. I intend to deliver them as much honest feedback as I can.
“I intend to try and improve them as players as much as I can and I have to be myself in delivering that, not try to be somebody else.
“Some of these guys I’ve known for a long time, some of these guys are good friends of mine but I just have to be honest with them, straight up with them and positively constructive with them and that should maintain the relationship.”
One player O’connell is looking forward to working with closely is
James Ryan, who is seen by many as his successor – but is still learning as a player and as a leader.
O’connell describes the Leinster man as an “incredible, world-class” player but acknowledges Ryan (inset) can get better.
“There’s probably loads of growth left in him,” he said, pointing to the evolution of Peter O’mahony as an example of what a player can learn under an array of coaches.
“His experience is really telling now in how he plays, I don’t think he’s physically any different. I think it’s the same for James.
“James has got an incredible work-ethic, as a ball-carrier he’s top class, his maul defence is top class and as he gathers experience and experiences different coaches, that will be the icing on the cake for his game.
“There isn’t a lot you can add physically in terms of his size, his fitness, but as his knowledge of the game and his experience grows, he’s only going to get better.”