O’Connell eager to put on a show in final Dublin game for Ireland

Andrew Baldock 11:45 29/08/2015
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  • Green giant: Paul O’Connell in action against Wales in the Six Nations.

    Ireland captain Paul O’Connell wants it to be a case of business as usual when he makes his Dublin farewell as a Test match player on Saturday.

    O’Connell will bow out of Test rugby after the forthcoming Rugby World Cup campaign in England and Wales following a stellar international career that has so far harvested 102 Ireland caps, while he also went on three British & Irish Lions tours.

    Wales, the country that O’Connell made his Test debut against on home soil 13 years ago, are fittingly the opposition this weekend in what is a last warm-up game for both countries ahead of Ireland boss Joe Schmidt and Wales head coach Warren Gatland announcing their World Cup squads next week.

    O’Connell is guaranteed a rapturous Aviva Stadium send-off, whatever the result, but he has no intention of being distracted.

    “There seems to be a lot of final everythings for me lately,” said O’Connell, who signed a two-year deal to play for Top 14 giants Toulon in June.

    “It is my first start (of the summer), and it’s more where I am going to be in terms of my playing and my fitness is where my mind is at the moment.

    “I have had a good pre-season, but it has been two-and-a-half months since I started a game, so I am just eager to get out and see where I am and put in a good performance.

    “That side of it (Dublin farewell) hasn’t been big for me this week.

    “I was disappointed with some of the things I did in the Scotland game (two weeks ago), and I am eager to correct those. It’s about the game, and getting it right.”

    Reigning Six Nations champions Ireland have been tipped by many to reach at least the World Cup semi-finals – they have never previously progressed beyond the last eight – and they go into the Wales encounter after beating them in Cardiff earlier this month, before toppling Scotland last time out.

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    England at Twickenham next Saturday will complete Ireland’s competitive World Cup preparation, and then it will be down to business and qualification from a World Cup pool that also features France, Italy, Canada and Romania.

    “We are all about preparation and how we train, and training at a certain level and intensity,” O’Connell, 35, added.

    “You regret a mistake in training almost as much as you regret a mistake in a match, and that’s a great place to be when you are trying to prepare really well for big games.

    “The way we prepare, we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves. 

    “We just put the emphasis on what is right in front of us.”

    Wales flanker Dan Lydiate believes the game is “brilliant preparation” for the World Cup.

    While squad vacancies are probably at a premium in either squad, Saturday’s Test should help clarify any 50-50 calls.

    “It is the first hit-out for a lot of us, but at the end of the day it’s an international,” Lydiate said. “We are excited about going out there, but it’s going to be a big challenge.

    “We saw how well-drilled Ireland were in the first match earlier this month, and they’ve had a couple more weeks to prepare, so we are expecting a tough Test match.

    "But it’s brilliant preparation for the World Cup. It is quite strange bec-ause it’s a pre-season game. Usually, you’ve had quite a few games before an international, but this is the first hit-up for a lot of the boys.

    “Probably, there will be parts of the game where both sides are rusty, but hopefully it will be a good show and it will be a good Test match.”

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