While it's clear that Paul O'Connell has lost none of his innate humility, the one-time Irish and Lions captain wouldn't have accepted Andy Farrell's offer to be the new Irish forwards' coach on the eve of the 2021 Six Nations unless he believed that he could have a positive impact.
“I feel I can offer value. I have an awful lot to learn, certainly as a coach but I felt I could immediately offer value to the coaching staff and the players,” O’Connell told the media on Tuesday at his first press conference since linking up with the squad.
“I suppose my recent connection to playing - you could say it’s a bit of a weakness - but I think it’s a strength as well. You’re still clued into what a player feels and how a player learns, and how hard it can be to learn at times, and to change a habit,” said O’Connell, who was forced to retire after rupturing his hamstring in the 2015 World Cup pool deciding win over France.
“So that was it, I was excited the minute he rang me and I think he’s got a really good environment here, the players enjoy it incredibly. I suppose there’s a very collaborative approach which I would have seen when I was in with them last year, whenever I speak to the players whenever I’ve met them. It’s a great environment to join and the opportunity excited me.”
Emphasising this more collaborative approach under Farrell, O’Connell added: “It’s amazing how much coaching the players actually do themselves, how educated they are on what’s happening, on opposition, on what’s happening in the world of rugby, what we need to do and how we have to deliver it.
“That’s very enjoyable for me but it’s also a challenge for me. You want to be in there running the whole show but Andy has us questioning the players, checking for understanding all the time and when players understand something they’ve a better chance of delivering it physically and that’s something he’s big into.”
Ireland’s lineout malfunctioned towards the end of last year, most notably in the Six Nations finale in Paris and inside the French 22, and O’Connell was asked if he believed he could have an immediate impact.
“I certainly hope I’ll have an impact in the lineout, but a big part of the lineout is experience. To be able to see pictures and have the feel of what is going to happen before it happens, you need be there a lot. You need to see it.
“You probably need to have a bad few days and learn from them. I think the Ireland lineout has been pretty good. There have been a few high profile losses right on the opposition line and I suppose they are very expensive.
“You can lose a lineout on halfway, you may not have scored from it or you haven’t had an amazing chance to score from it, but if you have a lineout from five metres out, it’s an important lineout. They have been high profile losses for the lineout. It has been a big learning curve for the players. I would have went through that as a player as well.
“You can do all the analysis and try and put all the systems in place, there is a feel to it and there is a bit of experience that allows you to see the pictures quickly. So, that’s important for the players. It’s an area that I have an interest in. I am familiar with the system we would have used.
“It has evolved from when I would have played, but I suppose there are little bits and pieces in all the provinces that we steal and poach off each other.”
Disappointingly, and worryingly, Caelan Doris has had to leave the squad after reporting some symptoms that could be associated with concussion. According to an IRFU statement "he has returned to Leinster to allow his symptoms to be appropriately assessed and investigated" while Quinn Roux has a neck issue which has forced him to return to Connacht."
Munster backrow Gavin Coombes and Leinster lock Ryan Baird will train with the Ireland squad this week.
“I don’t know how long they will be out for,” admitted O’Connell.
“They are two injuries you don’t ever want to be messing around with. You have to be careful. I’m not sure, we have no length of time on either of them. It’s frustrating for them and for us.
“Caelan is obviously a fantastic player. I would have worked with him with the Under-20s and he was incredible. He has that x-factor and you need those players in world rugby now.
"I played against Quinn towards the end of my time and he was excellent. My last game against Connacht, I think, we lost to them at the Sportsground and he was brilliant that day. He's a big man, great ideas at the lineout, you know, well coached by Jimmy Duffy up in Connacht, so it's been disappointing not to have him in now going forward but we have no timeframe on when they'll be back."
