O'Connell looking to replicate Paris victory
Lions lock Paul O’Connell has stoked up Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship showdown with France by warning Ireland they must start realising their potential.
A first Triple Crown since 1985 gave rise to the belief two years ago that Ireland could be on the brink of something special but so far they have failed to produce.
Viewed as favourites, they buckled under the weight of expectation during last season’s Six Nations before collapsing to heavy defeats by New Zealand and Australia in November.
And last Saturday’s unconvincing 26-16 victory over Italy wiped out the good feeling created by the rampaging success of Munster and Leinster in recent Heineken Cup matches.
With a raft of highly-gifted individuals in their ranks, Ireland have under-achieved since their Triple Crown success and O’Connell believes it is time to start to delivering on their promise.
“Last year we missed Gordon D’Arcy, Brian O’Driscoll and Shane Horgan who were injured but now we have a full team and should be looking to kick on from here,” O’Connell said.
“We’re lucky with the talent we have at our disposal. The team that’s playing this weekend is stronger than the one that won at the Stade de France six years ago.
“I want to win in Paris. The guys that succeeded there in 2000 will be remembered for a long time because it’s not very often that we beat the French in their own back yard.
“We have a lot of talent at our disposal and need to start making that count by winning big games. There’s a big performance in the team somewhere soon.”
O’Connell, who played all three Lions Tests against New Zealand last summer, believes the forward battle will set the tone for what should be a bruising encounter against France.
“The French pack is outstanding and unless we’re massively intense and psyched up we will struggle,” he said.
“We need to produce against that pack in Paris – it will be down to us to take them on. If we put in a good performance up front then anything can happen.
“We just have to beat France anyway we can. I couldn’t care less what fashion we have to win in. If the gaps are out wide then that’s where we’ll send the ball.
“You do what’s best to win the game and we’ll have to figure that out on the pitch.”
Fabien Pelous will win his 104th cap on Saturday and O’Connell believes the France skipper is the finest second row in the game with his feared defence his greatest strength.
“Fabien is massively important for France. He’s a super-fit guy and probably their best tackler – for such a tall guy he’s fabulous at it,” he said.
“He’s an inspiration to them. To get over 100 caps for a country which has so much talent is an amazing achievement which says a lot about him as a player.
“He’s their natural leader. To me he’s the best in the world, mainly because of his tackling.
“I remember one year Keith Wood, who was an excellent ball carrier, quick tapping and running straight at him from about 10 yards. Fabien picked him up and dumped him.
“That’s not an easy thing to do for such a tall man. That’s part of his game I’ve admired a lot.”
The 32-year-old Toulouse lock was banned for nine weeks last November for elbowing hooker Brendan Cannon during France’s 26-16 victory against Australia, but O’Connell denied he is a dirty player.
“Fabien doesn’t have a reputation. He made a mistake against Brendan Cannon but apart from that he’s a tough, hard physical player but not a dirty one,” he said.
