O'Connell wants to experience Paris win
Ireland captain Paul O’Connell said on Saturday he would love to taste victory for the first time in his stellar career in Paris against the French when they meet in their Six Nations clash on Sunday.
The 32-year-old – who wins his 85th cap at the Stade France – has won the Grand Slam, captained the Lions and won two European Cups but victory against the French on their home turf has always eluded him on his five previous visits.
“Yeah, it would be a box you’d love to tick,” said O’Connell, whose side are bidding for only their third win in Paris in 40 years and first since 2000.
“It is a really hard place to come and win. France in Paris are a different creature really, an incredibly tough side.
“They seem to save their best rugby for here, particularly their best counter attacking rugby. It’s something I’d love to do (beat them).
“I’ve had enough goes at it to try to beat them over here. It has always been a struggle. It’s something I’d love to do.
O’Connell, who is standing in as captain for the tournament for injured talisman Brian O’Driscoll, said that he and his team-mates hadn’t chatted much about the poor record in Paris.
“Not really, no. We’ve certainly spoken in the past how certain things have hurt us over here, things we have done in the past have hurt us and we’ll look to eradicate that,” said O’Connell, whose side come in on the back of a 42-10 win over Italy having lost the opener 23-21 to Wales.
“Apart from that there hasn’t been a whole lot mentioned of it. There’s a really good group of players that are well used to going away from home and winning.
“We may not have done it internationally against France in Paris yet but we’re well used to going away from home and winning. I don’t think we’re too held down by the baggage.”
O’Connell, who will be partnered in the second row by long-time Muster partner Donncha O’Callaghan, said that if they could play at the level they did in beating Australia in their World Cup pool match last year then they had a real chance.
“You look at one or two of the performances in the World Cup, certainly our Australian performance in the World Cup down in the southern hemisphere,” said O’Connell.
“It was a good performance for us and a good barometer for us to have. Tomorrow (Sunday) we just need to make sure we do the simple things well and don’t do what Ireland teams have done in the past and given France a leg-up.
“That’s the big thing. That is what teams do here. They kill you off turnovers, they kill you off counter attack.”
His France counterpart Thierry Dusautoir admitted that the Irish represented their toughest test yet – they beat the weakest sides Italy and Scotland in their first two games 30-12 and 23-17 respectively – and they had to start better than they had done in their first two games.
“We all realise we haven’t started the two matches well but I would rather be in the changing-room at six o’clock celebrating a victory with my team-mates whatever the manner in which we started the game,” he said.
“But more seriously we have to start in better fashion. We have to focus more on this area. I think the way we reacted to that slow start in Scotland shows we are taking it seriously. We have taken things in hand.”
AFP
