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The old... and the new  The
Old...
A lot done, a lot more to do.
Much like Bertie Ahern’s memorable election slogan the upcoming
Rugby World Cup in France could go a long way towards deciding whether
Paul O’Connell will be remembered as a great Irish rugby player
or merely a very good Irish rugby player.
Paul was so dominant in Munster’s quest for the Heineken Cup that
he inspired the legend amongst Munster supporters who claim Superman wears
Paul O’Connell pyjamas.
However, apart from the Heineken Cup heroics, there remains a sneaking
suspicion that Paul isn’t the player he once threatened to be.
The lock burst onto the international stage in 2002 when he scored a try
on his debut against Wales in the Six Nations.
His displays in Munster and Ireland’s engine room earned him a place
in Ireland’s 2003 World Cup squad and he captained Ireland for the
first game of the 2004 Six Nations against France, when he deputised for
the injured Brian O’Driscoll.
When the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour assembled to take on New Zealand
the Limerick man’s name was one of the first inked onto the teamsheet.
In many ways he became the victim of his own high standards. Most newspapers
at this time proclaimed him as ‘the greatest lock in world rugby’.
The tour was a disaster on and off the field as the visitors were outclassed
and outfought.
O’Connell was one of only two men to play every minute of all three
Test matches. And yet despite his best efforts O’Connell’s
amazing rise plateaued.
The All-Blacks pairing of Chris Jack and Ali Williams overpowered the
Lions line-out and lately the South African locks have forged further
ahead to be considered the world’s finest.
O’Connell’s leadership came under scrutiny last season particularly
against France in the opening Six Nations game in Croke Park.
O’Connell found himself again deputising for an injured Brian O’Driscoll
and, after Ireland’s comeback looked to have earned the spoils,
France struck in the closing moments with a killer blow from Vincent Clerc.
To Paul’s credit he bounced back in the manner that he always has
when his career hits a speed bump.
Against England in the following Six Nations game O’Connell produced
a colossal display earning him the man-of-the-match award and a special
place in Irish hearts as the old enemy were beat out the door in their
first appearance at Croke Park.
At 28, O’Connell could still play in the next World Cup. However
if Ireland are to make a bigger impression on the world stage, the time
is now.
Both Argentina and France will look to take Ireland on up front, where
Paul’s ability to lead by example with the big hits and hard yards
will be needed most.
Ireland have the firepower to prevail and as the saying goes: “Cometh
the hour, cometh the man.”
Ireland’s rugby supporters hope that the World Cup will prove
to be the hour when O’Connell proves he is indeed the best lock
in the world.
The New...
Brian Carney is set to become the first Irish player to represent Ireland
in both codes when he takes to the field for his country at rugby union
World Cup 2007.
The former Wigan and Great Britain rugby league winger has yet to play
a competitive game for Ireland but forced his way into the squad at the
11th hour at the expense of Ulster’s Tommy Bowe. With a meagre collection
of three caps in international friendlies to his name and at the age of
31 Carney can hardly be considered as one for the future.
However the reason that Eddie O’Sullivan has chosen the Munster
player over bright young things such as Luke Fitzgerald and Robert Kearney
is his undoubted pedigree as a top sportsman and an almost uncanny knack
of scoring tries.
He did it in his first outing for Munster in their Magners League fixture
against Ulster at Ravenhill last year when a 76th minute try stole a victory
for the visitors and repeated the trick in his first start for Ireland
against Argentina in Sante Fe last summer.
This, more than anything else, is what got Brian Carney onto the plane
for France just six months after switching codes from rugby league.
Born in Cork he moved to Wicklow and was educated in Clongowes Wood College.
He won a junior championship medal for Valleymount GAA club in 1998 and
played rugby for Lansdowne before being introduced to rugby league with
amateur side Dublin Blues. From there Carney’s rugby league career
blossomed. A place on the Irish students side lead to a contract with
English professional outfit Gateshead Thunder in 1999 and he moved with
them to Hull FC. After scoring a try against Wigan in the Super League,
Carney was snapped up by the Rugby League giants and in 2003 became the
first Irishman to represent Great Britain since Tom McKinney in 1957.
At a press conference before the Ashes series in 2003, Carney caused controversy
by refusing to pose with the Union Jack. As he said himself at the time:
“I just didn’t think it was appropriate. I’m an Irishman.
I’ll never be anything else but an Irishman. That doesn’t
mean I’m anti-English. I’m very, very far from being anything
like that and I’ll be as proud as can be to line up with these fellows.
But Keith Wood plays for the Lions and they wouldn’t ask him to
hold the Union Jack, would they?”
For every rugby league convert to union that has been successful there
have been just as many who have flopped. For England’s Jason Robinson
see Wales’ Iestyn Harris and for Australia’s Lote Tuqiri see
the Wallabies Wendell Sailor. With the jury still out on England’s
Andy Farrell the debate looks set to continue.
O’Sullivan’s risk in including Carney could be thrown into
greater focus as the opening game against Namibia on September 9 approaches.
With questions surrounding Shane Horgan’s fitness after sustaining
ligament damage in the warm up before the Scottish game in Murryfield
last week Carney could find himself elevated from squad man to the starting
line-up in a World Cup match.
In modern rugby defence is king and O’Sullivan has gambled on Carney’s
unknown and unorthodox style as being key to unlocking tight defences.
He might just get his chance to shine.
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