Paul O'Connell

Paul O'Connell

O'Connell warming up for Munster.
Full name	Paul Jeremiah O'Connell
Date of birth	(1979-10-20) 20 October 1979 (age 32)
Place of birth	Limerick, Ireland
Height	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	110 kg (17 st 4 lb)
School	Ardscoil Rís
University	University of Limerick
Notable relative(s)	Mick O'Connell – Father, Sheila O'Connell – Mother
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Second Row
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
	Young Munster
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2001–present	Munster	137	(80)
correct as of 06 May 2012.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2002–present 2005, 2009	Ireland Lions	85 6	(30) (0)
correct as of 05 Mar 2012.

Paul Jeremiah O'Connell (born 20 October 1979 in Limerick) is an Irish rugby union player who plays lock for Munster and Ireland. He also captained the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa.

Early life

O'Connell was a star swimmer when he was younger, starting his training with Seal Swimming club under the watchful guidance of Jim Riordan and Jerry Ryan before moving on to the Limerick squad. O'Connell attended the Model School, and Ard Scoil Ris in Limerick and played rugby under Des Harty's tutelage, representing Irish Schools in 1997–98 along with current international teammate Gordon D’Arcy. He also played five consecutive games with the Ireland U21s, with Donncha O’Callaghan as his second row partner. He also represented Young Munster R.F.C. before moving on to represent Munster, Ireland and the Lions. O'Connell has completed 3 out of 4 years of a Computer Engineering degree at the University of Limerick, deferring the remainder of the degree in order to concentrate on rugby.

Rugby career

O'Connell made his debut for Ireland against Wales in the Six Nations 2002, scoring a try. He was a part of Ireland's Rugby World Cup 2003 squad, and, in the first game of the Six Nations 2004, against France, he was stand-in captain for the injured Brian O'Driscoll. He toured with the 2005 British and Irish Lions to New Zealand, where he was one of only two Lions players to play every minute of all three Test matches, bar the 10 minutes he spent in the sin-bin. After a period of absence due to injury in the early part of the 2005–06 season, O'Connell returned to the Munster side to play an integral part in his side's march to its first Heineken Cup final since 2002,^[1] and also helped Ireland win the Triple Crown captaining the sides which played France & Scotland.

O'Connell in action for Ireland

Shortlisted for the International Rugby Board player of the year and the only Northern Hemisphere nominee. The other four nominees were New Zealand fly half / out half Dan Carter, fellow All Black openside flanker Richie McCaw, Australian fullback Chris Latham and South African scrum half Fourie du Preez. McCaw was the eventual winner.^[2]

More recently, O'Connell again took over from an injured O'Driscoll as Ireland captain in their historic match against France in the 2007 Six Nations, the first rugby match ever at Croke Park. O'Connell was awarded the Man of the Match accolade following Ireland's historic (and record breaking) 43–13 win over England at Croke Park during the Six Nations Championship. He also captained Munster to victory in the 2007-08 Heineken Cup^[3] and the 2008–09 Celtic League.

He scored the last ever International try at the Old Lansdowne Road before it was demolished and rebuilt as the Aviva Stadium.

He was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam ^[4]

On 21 April 2009, O'Connell was named as the British and Irish Lions Captain for the 2009 tour to South Africa. He played in all 3 Test matches, first with Alun Wyn-Jones and then with Simon Shaw. He played in all of Ireland's 2009 November Test matches against Australia, Fiji and South Africa. O'Connell missed Ireland's first two matches of the 2010 Six Nations due to injury, but returned to play England, Wales and Scotland. He missed Ireland's 2010 Summer Tests due to a groin injury that became infected,and also missed the Autumn Tests. He made his comeback for Munster against Cardiff in December, and made his Heineken Cup comeback against Ospreys a week later, only to be sent off and banned for four weeks. He came back against Toulon and London Irish and was selected in Ireland's 2011 Six Nations squad, playing against Italy, France, Scotland, Wales and England.

O'Connell injured ligaments in his ankle during the Munster-Leinster Magners League match on the 2nd April, and was out for four weeks, making his comeback against Harlequins on April 30, 2011.^[5]

He captained Munster to victory over Leinster in the 2011 Magners League Grand Final, and was selected in Ireland's 2011 Rugby World Cup training squad for the warm-up tests in August. He played in both tests against France, captained Ireland in their final warm-up Test against England and was selected in Ireland's 30-man squad to go to New Zealand, receiving the Man of the Match award against the USA.

It was announced on 30 December 2011 that O'Connell would captain Ireland in the absence of Brian O'Driscoll during the 2012 Six Nations Championship.^[6][7] The Ireland squad for the 2012 Six Nations was named on 18 January 2012.^[8] He was ruled out for the remainder of the 2012 Six Nations after a knee injury sustained in the game against France, which required a recovery period of 3–6 weeks.^[9]

O'Connell signed a new two year contract 3 January 2012 that will see him continuing to play his rugby for Munster and Ireland until the end of the 2013-14 season.^[10][11] He made his comeback from the knee injury suffered in the 2012 Six Nations against Ulster in the Heineken Cup quarter-final on 8 April 2012. O'Connell suffered another knee injury in Munster's Pro 12 league game against Ulster, which ruled him out for 4-6 weeks and made a doubt for Ireland's 3-Test series against New Zealand in June.^[12]

Personal life

O'Connell announced on the Late Late Show on 29 January 2010 that his girlfriend Emily was six months pregnant with their first child who was subsequently born the following April. Paul and Emily have been together since he was 20.^[13]

He went to the Model School Limerick when he was a child.

O'Connell became a father to a baby boy on 15 April 2010. The baby was born just before midnight on Thursday 15 April at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity in Limerick and weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs 10 ounces. He has been named Paddy O'Connell.^[14]

References

External links

• Munster profile
• IRFU profile
• Lions profile
• ESPNscrum profile