Paul O’Connell on the Ireland player that has really surprised him
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Surprised.
Paul O’Connell has opened up on the impression Sean Jansen has made in Ireland camp, revealing there is far more to the Connacht forward than his powerful carrying.
With Caelan Doris and Jack Conan unavailable through injury, Jansen is in contention to start at number eight when Ireland take on Argentina at Aviva Stadium on Friday night.
And while his physicality is an obvious strength, it is the attention to detail behind his performances that has particularly impressed Ireland’s forwards coach.
Speaking ahead of the game, O’Connell recalled getting to know Jansen on an Emerging Ireland tour.
“He’s [Jansen] a fantastic guy. I came across him first playing for Connacht, but we took him on the Emerging Ireland tour a few years ago. He was excellent for us on the tour, but I think what stood out was probably his diligence,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell admitted, with a light-hearted reference to Jansen’s hairstyle, that the forward had challenged his initial expectations.
“I suppose maybe when you look at a guy, I’m not sure what he has going on with his hair at the moment, but he generally has some kind of a rat’s tail, or a something, you’re kind of wondering what kind of a character you’re going to meet, but he was incredibly diligent.”
For O’Connell, it is the combination of that application and Jansen’s physical attributes that makes him such an exciting option.
“Sometimes the guys that are really physical just rely on that, and they’re not so diligent. Sometimes the guys that are really diligent aren’t as physical as they probably could be or should be. And I think he has both.”
The Connacht forward’s ability to absorb advice and put it into practice has also stood out, with O’Connell highlighting the progress in his defensive game.
“You don’t have to tell him anything twice,” O’Connell said.
“If you say something to him and he understands it and he sees the value in it, he just goes about making it part of his game. He moves really quickly. He’s excellent on the GPS stuff, and a real power athlete and his ball carry. He has always been excellent, but his defence this season has been brilliant.”
O’Connell believes that work is helping Jansen become a player who can contribute consistently throughout a game.
“He has the concentration to be that kind of relentless player, but then also his tackle entry and the back end after he [makes] good tackles have been really good. He’s good fun as well. He’s a real brilliant addition and find for us because when he showed up at Connacht, I hadn’t heard of him.
“He’s been so diligent in getting here. It isn’t just a guy who has some big carries and some big moments.”
With an opportunity potentially awaiting against the Pumas, Jansen could now get the chance to demonstrate those qualities on Friday night.
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