For a second row to win multiple individual honours in the space of a year takes some doing.
Looking back on his final year in the green jersey, there were line breaks, turnovers, big hits and tries. The big man even offloaded on a couple of occasions.
What stands out, though, was leadership. Leading by example. I’ll go, you follow.
Few would have imagined that a 35-year-old lock with a lengthy history of injuries, and who came close to retiring on New Year’s Eve, 2012, would claim the Six Nations Player of the Year. Since its inception in 2005, that accolade has gone either to backs or to tackle-hungry flankers [Martyn Williams and Dan Lydiate].
O’Connell won by a landslide. He was a popular winner and fierce rivals spoke fondly of the big man.
Two moments in the Six Nations spoke of O’Connell’s totemic role in another championship-winning campaign.
Against England, at the Aviva, he seemed to grow in the final 10 minutes. Out of the 12 tackles he landed in the match, five crunching hits came with England seeking the score that would give them a chance. O’Connell gave them none.
He fell afoul of Wayne Barnes in the away defeat to Wales. It left Ireland needing to beat Scotland by 25 clear points to give themselves a chance of winning the championship.
They needed tries and lots of them. O’Connell bullied his way over after four minutes and eased the pulse of a nation.
Post-match, he quenched himself with a can of Tenants.
He helped Munster to the Guinness PRO12 final but, try as he might, he was not able to prevent victory for an imperious Glasgow Warriors.
Going into the World Cup, O’Connell did not shy away from what Ireland were going to do. They were focused on topping their pool but felt confident of going deeper into the tournament than ever before.
The 50-7 win over Canada gave us reason to hope and he led Ireland’s Call in front of 89,267 fans at Wembley Stadium.
When Italy pushed Ireland close, at the Olympic Stadium, O’Connell waved off any and all attempts to call him ashore. Amid the gnawing din, O’Connell’s voice could be heard by those high up in the stands. He rallied, he cajoled and he preached a gameplan that hung on a key word: Trust.
That hurdle cleared, France awaited at the Millennium Stadium. It was not supposed to end there but it did.
Before the match, according to Chris Henry, he had many of his teammates in tears with a rousing, heartfelt speech.
The first 40 minutes were typical O’Connell. He set a furious tone and heaved into Les Bleus. He offered himself for carries and got his team on the front foot. He showed up in attack and punched holes as Ireland rocked France on their heels.
Caught up in a ruck with two Frenchmen, O’Connell managed to tear his hamstring off the bone. His World Cup was over but, still, he tried to walk off the pitch. Show no sign of weakness. His damaged leg could not hold his weight. It was a harrowing sight.
His absence told in the quarter final as Argentina ripped into a wounded side. Ireland’s captain could only watch from the galleries as the Pumas smashed the canvas. Without O’Connell, Peter O’Mahony, Johnny Sexton and Sean O’Brien, doubt set in a trust faltered.
O’Connell will be back in 2016 but not in a green jersey.
We may need three men to step up and fill the leadership hole he has left behind.
This is the third in a series of articles in which SportsJOE’s writers champion their sportsperson of the year. Read the case for Jon Walters here and the case for Joanna Jędrzejczyk here. You can see the candidates below and vote for your favourite.
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