Paul O’Connell & Craig Casey on Ireland’s Record Win

Interim Head Coach Paul O’Connell on Ireland’s record winin Portugal and the lessons from the Summer Tour. #teamofus

Listen, we can only beat what’s put in front of us and uh uh you know, they’ve performed quite well against Scotland, against South Africa in the last few years. So, uh we were ready for a big challenge. And you know, it wasn’t about them for us really. It was more about us. Uh it was more about and it wasn’t about the rugby we were going to play really. It was more about our mentality. Um, and that was the most pleasing part for us in terms of how they’ve prepared this week and then how they played today. And you know, I I was wondering what would happen. I was kind of hoping it would be sticky and we’d see what we were like, you know, when we when we’d hoped we’d be pulling away and maybe we weren’t. And then when we were pulling away, I was kind of excited to see what our mentality was going to be like then on on the back of it, you know, how we were going to, you know, were we going to set our own standards rather than than than, you know, the score line of the match. So I was really pleased from that point of view. I was really pleased that they did they didn’t care about the score line. They just kept playing as hard as they could. you know, you I love I love I love seeing some of the kick chase stuff late in the game. It really shows the mentality of the players. So, I was really pleased in that point of view. Uh you know, the score line isn’t ideal and it’s not good for them. Um but I was happy with the players mentality. And is that something that you’ve coached into push for the last three, four weeks? You want to see this drive and you want to see was lacking. We we’ve seen it on the emerging tour whenever we got on those emerging island tours. Just guys dying for a chance, you know, and they’ll do everything and anything once they get their chances. It’s they’re actually great tours to coach. Uh you get these guys with an incredible attitude and it’s your job then I suppose not to not to f it up really, you know. And uh I think the coaches have been good at that. You’d never think it’s the end of a long year for a lot of them. Uh but we were conscious that it was the end of a long year and we were just trying to keep things short and sharp. Over set the mark once or twice in training and probably over overtrained them a little bit. But uh um but they were I I think you know Leans and Mikey Colum Tucker did a really good job of of trying to keep it fresh and and the players responded they probably didn’t even need it. They came in with such a great attitude. I suppose it helped that Lster had won and they were they were feeling good. Um and it helped that the other guys had had a little bit of time off and a little bit of time to to reset and the guys from the other provinces were feeling good when they came in as well. So um so the attitude from day one we got one extra day. You know the challenge of playing international rugby is coming in on a Monday and being ready to play an international game on the Saturday week. We were eager to keep that challenge as part of the tour, but we grabbed an extra day on the Thursday beforehand and you know, their attitude from minute one was excellent. So, um, you know, there’s still plenty of stuff to review from that game. Probably the worst warm-up we ever had, I would say, before a match. Uh, so, but there’s loads of things to work on and get better at. Um and and uh but but at the same time, you know, I think the players go away having a good I suppose knowledge of what’s required. I think the the the senior guys like Craig and and a few of the other senior guys we had really trained and performed and looked after the group really well. So I think the rest of them found out what it is to be kind of an Irish player. So it’s been a great few weeks in that regard. to this uh captain and stuff. How was this week getting ready for for this game? Then you brought a few. No, it’s been great. Um it was a great week in Lisbon. We trained hard like Paulie said there like the some lads were absolutely dying for an opportunity and I think they took it well but the buzz all week has been has been brilliant. Um I’ve loved it to be honest. Uh captain the side um it’s a huge honor for me but it’s a huge opportunity as well and I’ve absolutely loved it. So couldn’t say enough about like the leadership group around me as well and and the coaches. So um I’m delighted with it. that I think the full three and a half weeks we we talked about it last night about doing the whole group justice because it’s probably the last time the whole group will be together coaching staff players as well. So we talked about last night not missing this not missing the beat today and and really like making it count and I think we did that. I think the three and a half weeks have been brilliant. I think for me getting back into Irish camp after missing the Six Nations, just getting back into that green jersey means an awful lot to me. And I think playing in front of a hell of a lot of friends and family today means means an awful lot. And that’s what I’ll take. No, it’s it was just us against us out there really at that stage. And we put a few markers down at halftime about kick chase, about how how much we can chase through and and not let off. And we probably will be disappointed to to concede that try. Um something we were in control of as well. It came off our kick chase and and they broke us. But we put a few markers down at halftime and didn’t want to let up. And I think we achieved