Paul O'Connell leaves Ireland Under 20's for Top 14 role
Former Ireland, British & Irish Lions and Munster captain Paul O’Connell is leaving the Ireland Under 20’s and taking up a forward coaching role with French Top 14 club Stade Francais.
The 38-year-old will work under for Springboks head coach Heyneke Meyer. Mike Prendergast, a former Munster teammate of O’Connell’s, recently joined the club as an attack and backs coach.
✍☘ Le @SFParisRugby est fier d’annoncer l'arrivée de @Paul_OConnell au poste d'entraineur des avants (spécialiste de la touche). Welcome to Paris Paul !#PinkArmy #TousParisiens #OConnellEstRose #WelcomePaul #SFParis pic.twitter.com/x2os7SSqVb
— Stade Français Paris (@SFParisRugby) August 3, 2018
O’Connell’s first foray into coaching came with the Irish Under 20’s as an assistant coach to Noel McNamara, joining the set-up in December last year.
He earned 108 caps for Ireland, winning a Grand Slam in 2009 along with Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015. He played 178 times for Munster, picking Celtic League and Heineken Cup trophies.
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O’Connell retired from the game in February 2016, when he failed to recover from a hamstring injury which he sustained during the 2015 World Cup. He had been due play for Toulon, but never managed a game.
Stade Francais initially put up a cryptic video on Twitter to tease out the announcement.
🆕✍☘ #BreakingNews Devinez qui rejoint Paris ?#TousParisiens #ParisEstRose #SFParis pic.twitter.com/c149itfM1V
— Stade Français Paris (@SFParisRugby) August 3, 2018
“I am really happy to join Paris and to be able to work in this big club alongside Heyneke Meyer”, O’Connell said after his announcement was confirmed.
O’Connell has signed a two-year deal with an option of a third.
Heyneke Meyer, Sports Director and Head Coach at Stade said: “I am really pleased to welcome Paul to the Stade Francais Paris family. Paul will bring his value and experience to our coaching team through his proven leadership abilities and his tactical and technical skills. This is a major asset for the club and it shows the ambitions and goals of the Stade Français Paris .
O’Connell’s is the second high profile former Irish international to move to Paris to take up a coaching role, Ronan O’Gara spent four years with Stade’s city rivals Racing Metro, joining the club in 2013 before leaving to take up a role with the Crusaders in Super XV.
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
51 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
51 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
51 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
51 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
51 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
51 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
51 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments