The concept that time is the great healer applies only to Paul O’Connell. Indeed, the intensity of the pain that once accompanied his defeat when he was Ireland captain is now not as deep as it once was.
But although the passage of time and different perspectives have made losing to New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-finals less disappointing now that I’m part of the Ireland coaching team, I can still pretend it doesn’t bother me. I admit that it is not.
Three months after the 28-24 loss at the Stade de France, O’Connell paused for a moment, summoning the words to explain his feelings. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it or recover from it,” said O’Connell, who won 108 caps for Ireland and played seven Tests for the British and Irish Lions on three tours. Ta.
“That’s just the way it is. But at the same time, I don’t dwell on it as much as I used to when I was a player. I think I’m a little bit older now, too, so I understand that things like that can happen. I am.”
Family demands also served as a distraction. O’Connell had three children of her own and returned to school as soon as she returned from France. He also coaches his U-14 team with his eldest son Paddy, a promising second-row or back-row forward, at Limerick club UL His Bohemians RFC.
“It’s going to be difficult for players and those who don’t have family, but I was able to quickly return to family life and coach my son’s team. I have to say I loved it,” he added. .
“The World Cup was a really enjoyable experience. As managers we worked long hours and it was a great environment so we could have continued as long as anyone wanted. But I never felt homesick. I didn’t, but I was happy to get back home and be with my family and move on.
“I thought we might win the World Cup, or we might lose by a narrow margin, but unfortunately we ended up losing by a narrow margin. I’ll probably remember it forever, but it is what it is and we have to move on to the next thing.”