Ireland
O'Connell made his debut for Ireland against Wales in the 2002 Six Nations Championship, starting alongside Mick Galwey and scoring a try. He was named in Ireland's squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup and played against Romania, Namibia, Argentina and Australia in the pool stage, and the 43-21 quarter-final defeat to France.
In Ireland's opening game of the 2004 Six Nations Championship, O'Connell captained the side in the absence of Brian O'Driscoll. He also played in the game against Scotland on 27 March 2004, a game in which Ireland secured their first Triple Crown for 19 years.
He was also part of the Ireland team that won a Triple Crown in the 2006 Six Nations Championship.
He scored the last ever International try at the Old Lansdowne Road before it was demolished and rebuilt as the Aviva Stadium, a game in which Ireland won their third Triple Crown in four years.
O'Connell was shortlisted for the International Rugby Board player of the year in 2006, and was the only Northern Hemisphere nominee. The other four nominees were Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Chris Latham and Fourie du Preez. McCaw was the eventual winner.
O'Connell again took over from an injured O'Driscoll as Ireland captain in their historic match against France in the 2007 Six Nations Championship, the first rugby match ever at Croke Park. O'Connell was awarded the Man of the Match accolade following Ireland's historic (and record breaking) 43–13 win over England at Croke Park during the 2007 Six Nations Championship.
He was named in Ireland's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He played against Namibia, Georgia, France and Argentina, as Ireland crashed out in the pool stage of the tournament.
O'Connell was a member of the victorious Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship and Grand Slam.
He played in all of Ireland's 2009 November Test matches against Australia, Fiji and South Africa. O'Connell missed Ireland's first two matches of the 2010 Six Nations Championship due to injury, but returned to play England, Wales and Scotland. He missed Ireland's 2010 Summer Tests due to a groin injury that became infected, and also missed the 2010 Autumn Tests.
O'Connell was selected in Ireland's 2011 Six Nations Championship squad, playing against Italy, France, Scotland, Wales and England.
He was selected in Ireland's 2011 Rugby World Cup training squad for the warm-up tests in August 2011. He played in both tests against France, captained Ireland in their final warm-up Test against England and was selected in Ireland's 30-man squad to go to New Zealand. He received the Man of the Match award in the opening pool game against the USA. He started in Ireland's historic 6-15 victory against Australia, their first win against Australia at a World Cup. O'Connell also started against Italy in Ireland's final pool game. He started against Wales in their 22-10 quarter-final defeat.
It was announced on 30 December 2011 that O'Connell would captain Ireland in the absence of Brian O'Driscoll during the 2012 Six Nations Championship. The Ireland squad for the 2012 Six Nations was named on 18 January 2012. He was ruled out for the remainder of the 2012 Six Nations after a knee injury sustained in the game against France, which required a recovery period of 3–6 weeks.
The knee injury was worse than first feared and it ruled O'Connell out of the 2012 Ireland tour to New Zealand. He was also ruled out of the 2012 Autumn Tests with a back injury. Surgery to resolve the back injury ruled O'Connell out of the 2013 Six Nations Championship.
Read more about this topic: Paul O'Connell
Famous quotes containing the word ireland:
“Out of Ireland have we come,
Great hatred, little room
Maimed us at the start.
I carry from my mother’s womb
A fanatic’s heart.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“In Ireland they try to make a cat cleanly by rubbing its nose in its own filth. Mr. Joyce has tried the same treatment on the human subject. I hope it may prove successful.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“They call them the haunted shores, these stretches of Devonshire and Cornwall and Ireland which rear up against the westward ocean. Mists gather here, and sea fog, and eerie stories. That’s not because there are more ghosts here than in other places, mind you. It’s just that people who live hereabouts are strangely aware of them.”
—Dodie Smith, and Lewis Allen. Roderick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland)