Emmet Moloney writes for the 'The Irish Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

It is amazing how one player can mean so much to a team but, when it comes to Paul O’Connell, logic and reason are redundant, writes Emmet Moloney...

Paul O’Connell is a talismanic figure in Irish rugby and his return to the Munster colours last Saturday evening was the good news sports story of the week. At least I think he came back. With all that fog in Thomond Park, it was hard to tell!

Munster are a unique sporting institution. They have a relationship with supporters that stretches further than almost any professional team in existence. And their leader is Paul O’Connell. His teammates have missed him almost as much as their fans. But he’s back now, and all is right with the Munster world as a result. This a lift that can’t be measured. This next fortnight could be make or break for the provinces in the Heineken Cup and it’s vital that all hands are on deck. Two intensive games in eight days means a squad capable of coping with injuries – what a man to have available again!

All we’ve seen of the towering second row in recent months is footage of him drinking milk. Now hopefully we’ll see him back at his day job, eating French, Scottish, Welsh and, above all, English men for breakfast. It is what he’s best at.

One-man teams don’t exist – we all know that – but O’Connell falls into a special category. Like Brian O’Driscoll, you can sense there’s something missing in the team when he’s not there. He lifts those around him.

Irish sporting history is littered with such men. Christy Ring was such an individual and who knows how this year’s All-Ireland final would have unfolded if Henry Shefflin’s knee had held up.

Next year’s Rugby World Cup is considered a foregone conclusion if Dan Carter and/or Richie McCaw stay fit. There’s a lot of sound theory in that. It’s a good one for the pub stool: how many one man teams can you think of?

After a half an hour of that conversation you’ll eventually wander to the Brendan Lynskeys of this world. The men who mightn’t do the scoring, the clearing and all the eye-catching moments, but men such as Conor Clancy (Clare), Joachim Kelly (Offaly), Ogie Moran (Kerry) and Lynskey played a crucial part. Wouldn’t you love to try to pick a GAA team of such men? These men did the work behind the scenes, took the belts, gave the belts, were never too flashy, but more than earned their medals.

Those are the qualities that Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell bring to their teams. O’Driscoll can do it all, flash and furnace. He works harder than anyone with and without the ball. O’Connell is his equivalent in the pack. Replacing these two is not too far off – it won’t be easy.

Doubts remain over whether O’Driscoll will make it back for the first of the Clermont Auvergne encounters and a decision on his availability won’t be made until tomorrow (Friday). Leinster have the tougher task this weekend, away in France, while the Red machine have the dangerous Ospreys at home.

This is the back-to-back double before Christmas – teams play each other home and away over the space of two weeks. It is a double-edged sword because there is advantages to playing at home first, obviously, if you beat your opponents. But then you travel a week later to face their wrath in front of their home supporters. There is a case to be made that playing the second game at home is best because you know exactly what you have to do in terms of bonus points and staying ahead of your pool rivals.

Leinster, for example, are top of their group with nine points and a bonus-point loss wouldn’t be the end of the world. A week later, they could then remove Clermont from their faces with a bonus-point win in the RDS. Beat them by more than they beat us, that kind of thing. It’s a very good habit that Munster have gotten into – ensuring you come out on top in the head-to-heads over the two games. It is a habit that allowed them to win the odd miracle match.

While O’Connell mightn’t be up to 80 minutes just yet, his presence alone should see his team over the line against the Welsh on Sunday. If the weather remains as cold and uncomfortable as it has been, there will be no four-try bonus-point hauls. It will be just about winning – ugly or otherwise. This is something Munster know how to do. Above all, the talented Ospreys back division must be dumped on their backsides at every given opportunity on Sunday afternoon. The crowd can and will play their part.

In Munster’s pool, all teams have won one and lost one, but as usual the wily Munster men are ahead on bonus points. Leinster, on the other hand, have already garnered a bit of breathing space with two wins from two, Clermont their nearest challengers on five points. With O’Driscoll fit their chances will obviously improve.

In two weeks’ time we’ll have a very clear picture of where our leading provinces stand. Two wins each and the Ryanair flights can be booked for later on in the season because it would put both within touching distance of qualification. This is not beyond the bounds because both sides are building up a little momentum. Leinster are no longer the frail entity they once were away from home. They are former European champions and play like it. Munster? Well, we all know the story there. Munster’s reserve team are better than Australia’s, for God’s sake!

Into that mix we can now throw Paul O’Connell. The chips will be down over the coming weeks. There’ll be moments when men need to stand up. If O’Connell doesn’t do it, he’ll make someone beside him do it. Ditto Brian O’Driscoll.

We’re lucky to have such men.

Linked article:
We will not see his like again - AFR's Chronicles

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