Paul O'Connell

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

O'Connell made his debut for Munster on 17 August 2001, in a pre-season friendly against Edinburgh. His Heineken Cup debut came in a home fixture against Castres Olympique which Munster won 28-23. He was an unused substitute for Munster in their 2002 Heineken Cup Final defeat to Leicester Tigers on 25 May 2002. O'Connell made his debut for Ireland against Wales in the 2002 Six Nations Championship, coming on as a replacement and scoring a try. O'Connell was part of the Munster squad that won the 2003 Celtic League, though he missed the final against Neath-Swansea Ospreys due to injury. He scored two tries in a 35-12 victory over Wales in a World Cup warm-up game in August 2003 and was rewarded with a place on the Ireland squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

In Their Own Story

In Ireland's opening game of the 2004 Six Nations Championship, O'Connell captained the side in the absence of Brian O'Driscoll. He also played in the game against Scotland on 27 March 2004, in which Ireland won their first Triple Crown for 19 years. O'Connell also gained silverware on the club front when Munster won the last final of the Celtic Cup, defeating Llanelli Scarlets 27–16 in Lansdowne Road on May 14, 2005. He was also part of the Ireland team that won a Triple Crown in the 2006 Six Nations Championship, playing in a dramatic 24-28 victory over England to clinch the Crown. He scored the last International try at the Old Lansdowne Road before it was demolished and rebuilt as the Aviva Stadium, in a 61-17 victory over the Pacific Islanders. O'Connell was selected in the squad for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. He won his first Test cap for the Lions on 25 June 2005, starting in the first test defeat to New Zealand. O'Connell also started the second and third tests. O'Connell was shortlisted for the International Rugby Board player of the year in 2006 and was the only Northern Hemisphere nominee. O'Connell was an integral member of the Munster team that won the 2005–06 Heineken Cup, scoring a try in the 19-10 quarter-final victory over USA Perpignan and playing a crucial role in defeating Leinster 30-6 in the semi-final and Biarritz Olympique 19–23 in the 2006 Heineken Cup Final.

Reader's Guide

O'Connell again took over from an injured O'Driscoll as Ireland captain in their historic match against France in the 2007 Six Nations Championship, the first rugby match ever played at Croke Park. O'Connell was awarded the Man of the match accolade following Ireland's historic 43–13 win over England at Croke Park a week later. He was named in Ireland's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup on 12 August 2007. O'Connell became Munster captain in July 2007, succeeding Anthony Foley. He led Munster to their second Heineken Cup triumph in the 2007–08 season, playing a crucial role in the lead up to Munster's sole try in their 16–13 defeat of Toulouse in the 2008 Heineken Cup Final. He also led the side to victory in the 2008–09 Celtic League. O'Connell's ability to steal Welsh line-out ball played a key role in Ireland's 17-15 victory over Wales which granted Ireland the 2009 Six Nations Championship and a first Grand Slam in 61 years. On 21 April 2009, O'Connell was named as the British & Irish Lions captain for the 2009 tour to South Africa. He commented at the time: 'I looked at the squad last night and it will be a privilege to lead them. It's a great honour considering the captains that have gone before me, some of them legends of the game.' He started the first test defeat alongside Alun Wyn Jones on 20 June 2009. He led the Lions in the second test with a new second-row partner in the form Simon Shaw as the Lions lost the match and with it, the series. O'Connell started in the last test of the series where the Lions managed a consolation victory to avoid the first whitewash by South Africa in 118 years.

Did You Know?

• O'Connell scored a try for Ireland against Wales in the 2002 Six Nations Championship while playing on after being knocked unconscious by Craig Quinnell's elbow, and has no recollection of the first half.
• Brian O'Driscoll scored the last international try at the old Lansdowne Road before it was demolished and rebuilt as the Aviva Stadium, in a 61-17 victory over the Pacific Islanders on 26 November 2006.
• O'Connell was the only Northern Hemisphere nominee for the International Rugby Board player of the year in 2006.
• He captained the British & Irish Lions on the 2009 tour to South Africa, saying 'It's a great honour considering the captains that have gone before me, some of them legends of the game.'
• O'Connell completed 3 out of 4 years of a Computer Engineering degree at the University of Limerick before deferring to concentrate on rugby.