O'Connell to cut short his coaching contract in Paris - reports
Paul O’Connell is reportedly set to leave his coaching job at Stade Francais after just a single season with the Top 14 club.
The former Ireland and Lions captain had arrived in Paris last summer on a two-year deal that contained the option of a third.
However, France-based RMC Sport are reporting that a strained relationship with his boss, South African Heyneke Meyer, will see him prematurely leave his role as forwards coach.
O’Connell had been working in Ireland as an academy level coach at Munster and with the Ireland under-20s before he decided to make the step-up to adult rugby in France.
But the switch has not worked out as intended and he is believed to have already said internally at the club he will not be in Paris next season.
(Continue reading below...)
It has been a difficult campaign this season for Stade. The club suffered a tragic bereavement in December when academy player Nicolas Chauvin passed away following injuries sustained on the pitch, while there was also upheaval in the coaching team with former France scrum-half Julian Dupuy forced out of his job.
The reports that O’Connell will now also leave follow the revelation that his colleague and good friend from Limerick, backs coach Mike Prendergast, has recently met Toulon head coach Patrice Collazo with a view to an end-of-season switch.
Collazo is looking for someone to work alongside current assistant Sébastien Tillous-Borde and Prendergast, who has previously worked at Grenoble and Oyonnax, is being courted to fill the role.
The potential departures of the Irish duo would be at odds with Prendergast’s recent praise for Meyer, the 2015 South Africa World Cup coach.
“There was a couple of changes before Christmas, but we’re working away, keeping the head down and trying to do our best,” he told RugbyPass.
“He’s brilliant, a very passionate coach. He’s a very approachable coach as well, which is great. He wants coaches to express themselves and trusts his coaches in what they are trying to do. He has been great to work with.”
Latest Comments
I’m looking forward to attending the Twickenham match, I don’t think it will have a bearing on the outcome of the grand prize itself but it will tell us more about each teams’ preparation and game plan. It’s hard to look past one of the big four (I’m including Canada) lifting the trophy in 2025 but sport is a curious thing, there will still be twists and turns in road ahead.
Go to commentsThe better side seems to be the losing side a lot these days. As far as narrative goes. Must be the big emergent culture of “participation awards” that have emerged in nanny states. ”It looked like New Zealand would take the game from there but lapses in execution let South Africa get back into the game. New Zealand’s goal kickers left five points out there, including a very make-able penalty on the stroke of half”. Sounds like a chronic problem… I wonder how the better team has lapses in concentration and execution? Or are those not important factors in the grand scheme of total performances? In 2023, the ABs at least didn’t give up a lead to lose. They just couldn’t execute to get the points and take the lead. This Baby AB result points to a choke - letting the game slip through your fingers. In the words of the great Ricky Bobby’s dad - “If you’re not 1st you’re last!” Loosely translated - if you didn’t win, you’re a loser.
Go to comments