We will trust Paul on this one and believe him.
The Ireland captain was in London this afternoon for a Captain’s Run at England’s Twickenham Stadium.
Ireland will attempt to defeat Stuart Lancaster’s men in England for the first time since 2010 but it will not be easy. Lancaster has selected an immensely strong team.
O’Connell reflected on Ireland’s 16-10 defeat to Wales, last weekend, and remarked that his team felt ‘a long, long way away from the World Cup’ on Monday morning.
You can be sure that Joe Schmidt read the riot act.
Following the home loss, Wales coach Warren Gatland ribbed his hosts’ narrow, one-dimensional playing style and declared his players felt completely comfortable throughout.
Schmidt was briefly lost for world’s, on Saturday, when informed of Gatland’s comments but they did not get a rise out of O’Connell.
‘You’d love to go into the World Cup having won,’ said O’Connell, ‘but if you don’t win, you just deal with it and get on with it.
‘From our point of view, it’s about putting together certain things that help us play well. We recognise those when we lose and we recognise those when we haven’t done them when we win as well.’
O’Connell then reflected on how Ireland were less than perfect in their 28-22 win over Scotland.
Not a single mention of Gatland.
The reporter tried his luck again.
REPORTER: Outside influences like Gatland, does it affect you?
O’CONNELL: I didn’t’ hear what he said so he’s entitled to his opinion.
He has been too long in the game to give away too much for free.
