The news that many Irish rugby fans have been dreading for the better part of this decade has finally been delivered – Ireland captain Paul O’Connell has announced his retirement from international rugby effective at the conclusion of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
O’Connell’s retirement will close the curtain on what has been a tremendous professional rugby career for both Munster and Ireland as the 101-Test veteran prepares for life in France, after signing a two-year deal with European Champions Cup winners Toulon last week.
But before the towering Munsterman joins club rugby’s All-Star brigade in the south of France, he is challenged with competing for the one international honour that has eluded him his entire career – the Rugby World Cup.
Ireland are widely considered as dark horses for September’s World Cup in England with Joe Schmidt’s side viewed as the number one threat to derailing any southern hemisphere title aspirations. Schmidt’s side enter the World Cup in fantastic form, winning 12 of their last 14 games, losing only in nail biters against the All Blacks in 2013 and to Wales in this year’s Six Nations.
In both of those losses O’Connell could not have possibly done anything more to help his side secure victory, as he led the charge in both games, tireless in the carry and resolute in defence. In sport we commonly throw around the term ‘we learn more about players in defeat than in victory’ and I think this is true of O’Connell, a genuine leader who fights to the bitter end and takes the game by the scruff of the neck in order to chase down a lead.
He is not the first to display those characteristics but I can’t think of many that have proved it to the level that O’Connell has over the time he has.
However, O’Connell’s legacy will not always be about leadership or team accomplishments, there have been plenty of players who have achieved both and yet aren’t held in the same league as some of the game’s greats.
Regardless of what happens when all is said and done, whether Ireland exceed expectations and win this year’s World Cup or whether they play to tradition and underperform when the lights get brightest, where will Paul O’Connell lie among the pantheon of the greatest second rowers to ever lace them up?
For me it’s at the very top and that’s not said lightly.
When you look at who he is competing against for the tag of the greatest second rower ever, he has stiff competition from his own country, nevermind the rest of the world, but regardless the list is pretty stacked.
John Eales, Martin Johnson, Willie McBride, Colin Meads, Victor Matfield, Brad Thorn, Fabien Pelous and Frik du Preez, the list goes on and on and on. All great players, all worthy of their place in their respective country’s rugby folklore, but when compared against each other it’s hard to say.
You see rugby, unlike most sports, has seen vast changes since the sport’s inception, with the modern game a far cry from what it was when it was first played. As with every professional sport, rugby has evolved and changed, but from a second rowers perspective it is almost a completely different game with this position in particular maybe evolving the most of any position in the sport.
The fact is the lineout, maul and scrum have developed into what can now be seen as an art-form with the professional lineout in particular often a complex beast that can be difficult to wrap your head around. You went from days when locks would merely slap at the ball, where leaping ability but more so height ruled the roost, to a point where we are at now where winning your own lineout ball and stealing the opposition’s can sometimes make or break a win or loss, especially in the ultra-competitive world of international rugby.
Is O’Connell better than Matfield? Was Eales better than Johnson? It’s all very subjective and you can make legitimate cases for both sides but I think it can be quite difficult to compare O’Connell to McBride or Matfield to Du Preez given how different the game was back then compared to how it is now.
For me, in the modern era it comes down to a battle between four players – Matfield, Eales, Johnson and O’Connell. Three World Cup winners against a man who has amassed more than 100 Test caps for Ireland, travelled on three British and Irish Lions tours – captaining the 2009 side in South Africa – won two Heiniken Cups, three Six Nations titles, four Triple Crowns and a Grand Slam to boot.
Now, granted, O’Connell’s team achievements don’t quite live up to some of the others in contention but I believe no one helped elevate their country more than O’Connell did, a fact that cannot be slept on given Ireland’s relative lack of international success prior to O’Connell’s introduction to the national team.
I hold the other three in the highest regard as players, far from it as people for some or sports broadcasters for others, but as players Eales, Johnson and Matfield were among the very best, but did play for countries whose rugby reputations and programs were already at an extremely high level.
O’Connell, along with others on those Irish teams, helped cultivate a culture and turnaround a mentality from visitors to victors, and it took years of sustained consistency, leadership and improvement to do so. The same could be said for England and Australia as neither team have really experienced the same international dominance and success since Eales and Johnson’s respective departures, but I feel like O’Connell has had a greater impact on Ireland than those players.
Unfortunately, for the average fan concrete statistics are hard to find to settle such arguments as statistics and team and individual achievement are usually the best metrics to settle such disputes. It would be great to compare the percentages of lineouts won, stolen, tackles made, average metres per carry etc. for all these great players to see who was ultimately the most effective on the field.
But until that day comes where that type of data is widely accessible, we unfortunately have to settle for subjective debate and as far as this writer is concerned, Paul O’Connell will go down as the very best lock to play the game.
Phil O'Donovan
Guest
A great article and fitting praise for a wonderful rugby player.I have seen all those second rows mentioned and all are collossus of the game.I have seen O'CONNELL playing for Young Munster,Munster,Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.I cannot recall on any occasion when he has not given 100%.A marvelous player and true gentleman of the game.
skipper
Guest
Great article, made me think back to these great exponents of the game, without argument all locks are a special breed. Before a rwc I will duff my cap to him, undoutedly a great player, but if he wishes to silence all, he must do so in Sept. The stage is set and he and Ireland have a very riley coach, who understands how to unravel the opposition. As mentioned above there are a few kids chomping at the bit, to also prove themselves on this world stage, let's see, I am indeed excited!
Lara
Guest
what about drop outs, kicks to touch and to tell Conrad to cool it...because he can lose it with the ref at times.
Jerry
Guest
Apparently James Broadhurst was mentioned by Beauden Barrett as a possible option to take the kicks for the Canes tonight.
Lara
Guest
So to be a great secondrower you have to kick goals and be captain of the team.....hells bells tough job requirement !!!!
Jerry
Guest
You mis-spelled 'fouled'.
Tigranes
Guest
Whitelock gets owned by Will Skelton
Jerry
Guest
Eales couldn't score 60m tries or sidestep like Whitelock can.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Whitelock could not kick goals or captain like Eales did.
Beans
Guest
That's the point though.... Matfield and Botha were a good combo but neither single handedly dominated in the way other individuals have. They were exceptional exponents in the lineout, mostly Matfield but always were pressured by Sharpe, Jack, O'Connell, etc.. I've never seen anyone head and shoulders above all others in a way that John Eales was in the 90's. He was, quite simply, outstanding both in the era pre-lifting and post. Couple that with fantasticwork in tight, impeccable captaincy, place kicking and just being an unflappable ambassador for the game, then you cannot look past Eales. The only lock to come close since has been Johnson, but even then, he was limited vs. Eales
Lindsay Amner
Roar Guru
And you'd ignore the greatest All Black ever - until McCaw came along anyway. Colin Meads is first pick in any world team at lock. Matfield is well behind, a lineout jumper only, in comparision to Eales, Johnson and Meads who were all far more rounded players.
Lara
Guest
All wonderful players mentioned, all with different attributes ,but the lock who I believe has the most all round ability would be Whitelock. .
RedsKing
Guest
No better lock than Matfield with Botha a close second as the enforcing lock, and of course no better lock pairing than those two. People seem to forget that they dominated the lineout against all opposition for years. Hell, Matfield is still arguably the best when it comes to lineouts.
Riddler
Guest
Am just happy that nobody has thrown in the name Sharpe.. ;) Our props have been outclassed over the last 12 years.. But I will always a believe that our second rows in that time have not helped us that much.. On side note I am for a eales johnno second row.... Then a thorn and Jones in the second xv
Harry Jones
Expert
Etzebeth reaching top form again. Their clash (Eben vs Brodie) is one of the RWC duels I cannot wait to watch
Harry Jones
Expert
Good post. Also, Bakkies "made" his props scrum better. Great team man. Best duo (Bakkies-Vic) for sure.
Harry Jones
Expert
Nice article. He's mellowed a lot. Interesting news from the Republic: Meyer seems to have FLIP and Bekker back. So, maybe the Boks' RWC locks are: Etzebeth (Flip) Bekker (Victor) Possibly PSDT as cover.
Jerry
Guest
NZ's had a lot of very good locks but, in the pro era, they haven't tended to have maintained a high level for a long time. Jack was good, but he was on the wane even before he left in 07. Thorn was good but he struggled in his first stint then went back to league, so his best period was from 08-11. Ali Williams was good but wasn't the most physical and had a lot of injury problems near the end of his career. Even before them, Ian Jones & Robin Brooke were class but not quite at that elite level of all time World XV. There's Meads & Whetton, but I don't rank them quite on the level of Eales & Johnson. Retallick & Whitelock will, IMO, be the best ever AB lock pairing though. And if Brodie keeps up this level, he'll be in the discussion for best ever, no doubt.
Brett McKay
Expert
Just on the topic of Matfield, Harry: http://es.pn/1dMZMb6
MMaaxx
Guest
These type of topics are always fun and of course very debatable. A lock's primary role is in the lineout and here Matfield has no peer. Winning his own or stealing the opposition. Now as an 'old man' his all round game is not where it should be but the difference he make to the team in terms of presence etc is evident in that the Bulls are a different side when he is there. However when in his prime pre 2009 he was by no means a 'light' players and put in massive shifts, a hard worker around the field, getting around the field well, making tackles and hitting rucks. Certainly not second to other locks in his general play. This is a myth develped in recent years and if he had retired after the 2009 Lions series perhaps this would not even exist. Generally cool headed, an ability which saw him captain the Bulls for six seasons making 2 Super 12 Semi Finals and winning 3 titles. Add in a RWC, 3N and Lions Series win and if you watch the 2007 RWC and 2009 Lions Series again it is clear just how crucial he was to the Boks and how influential. His stamina was phenominal and was seldomly injured. The all round and complet rugby. Simply put you do not captain the Bulls and have his Bok record if all you are is a lineout jumper. 2007 Bulls win Super Rugby with Matfield as captain, 2008 he takes a year off in France and they finish 10th, 2009 he returns and the Bulls are Champions again....THE BEST! Interesting that all 4 players on the list are Captains and RWC winners. Matfield and Eales have that extra bit though. Johnson and O'Connell to me are as good as Botha, Thorn, Mark Andrews but score the extra points with fans as they are captains for their countries / clubs with coutries. Like Francios Pienaar for the Boks who while a very good player perhaps is not better than Ruben Kruger, Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, etc etc but is often listed as such. It is crazy that no NZ players make this list and that is purely becasue of the RWC failures in the 90's and 00's. A player like Chris Jack for example was amazing for the Saders and NZ but gets overlooked.