Joe Schmidt has nailed it in the very first words he’s spoken about Paul O’Connell since today’s sad news.
The Munster legend called quits on his rugby career after 14 years as a professional this morning, with hundreds, if not thousands of tributes being paid to the Limerick man.
His time on the field was ended while on duty for Ireland in last year’s World Cup win over France, and today the man at the helm that fateful afternoon has spoken about his devastation, and admiration, for the former Lions skipper.
“I think it’s one of those things, where all good things come to an end, and even really good things come to an end.
“For him that’s a segment of his life, that definitely was his life along with his family because he committed everything he could to being the best rugby player he could be and inevitably he became the best leader he could be as well.
“It’s a loss for Irish rugby but at the same time it’s one of those things that is inevitable at some stage.”
Schmidt also indicated that because of O’Connell’s knowledge as a forward and as a captain, he will certainly be a formidable coach if goes down that route.
Current captain Rory Best has also paid tribute to his predecessor, and how he changed the way Ireland approached games.
“The contribution he has made to Irish rugby is that when he first came in I think they were always capable of a big performance here and there.
“As an Irish fan back then and now as an Irish player now, there’s confidence we can compete with anyone in the world and Paulie was one of the main drivers of that. And that will be a massive part of Paulie’s legacy.”
