Papé and O’Connell – two old stagers with untold respect for each other.
The locks have been doing battle for 12 seasons now and will hopefully resume rivalry when O’Connell’s Toulon take on Papé’s Stade Francais in the Top 14.
The pair have had their run-ins in the past – notably when O’Connell broke up a tunnel bust-up between Stephen Ferris and Dimitri Szarewski. Papé dragged the French hooker from the scene but angry words were exchanged.
All of that is in the heat of battle, or when the blood is still boiling.
Papé is now painted as a panto villain by those looking to make excuses for Sean O’Brien’s reckless punch, at the Millennium Stadium, last Sunday.
By going to ground after he was caught unawares by a punch to the stomach, Papé has been accused of feigning injury. The cynical out there argue that Papé did not rise to his feet after a minute and required a further minute of treatment as he was trying to do O’Brien over.
And, after all, he did put his hand on O’Brien’s hip. Surely he was asking to be decked. Surely.
Throw on top of this the fact that Papé was banned for 10 weeks, earlier this year, for kneeing Jamie Heaslip and fracturing three vertebrae and you have a charlatan of the highest order.
However, it is worth noting that Papé was the only French player to approach O’Connell as he lay stricken on the Millennium Stadium pitch.
After a break in play, with medics attending the Irish captain, Papé bent to pay his respects and say a few, consoling words.
Sitting in the stands that day, I took it as a mark of true respect between two players that leave everything out on the field for their country.
Ireland are unlikely to face France again in the World Cup. If they do, it will either be in the final or the 3rd/4th place playoff.
Papé’s ribs should be better by then but, in the eyes of many Irish fans, his reputation – for hitting the deck after being punched – will take longer to recover.
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