Paul O’Connell not codding himself over retirement

At the end of the match Paul O'Connell walked to a corner of the ground, shook hands with the fans and posed for photographs. Then, over the heads of the crowd at the front of the West Stand his young son Paddy was passed.

The Irish lock smiled and strolled slowly into the tunnel with Paddy toddling in front of him. Inside the stadium Eoin Reddan and Ronan O’Gara reached out for his hand.

O'Connell smiled, grasped the scrumhalf and the outhalf and then walked into the dressing-room, perhaps for the last time, at Lansdowne Road and certainly for the last time after beating England in Dublin in a Six Nations Championship match.

Speculation that after the World Cup the career of the 35-year-old will take the inevitable turn seemed reinforced. He wasn’t about to deny it. Just the timing is at question.

“Eh, it could have been,” said the Irish captain. “I just don’t know yet. I’m undecided. As I said I really want to play in the World Cup and be the best shape I can there and I’ll see after that.”

With England not due back for a Six Nations match for two years – although they will play a friendly against Ireland before the World Cup – Sunday was O’Connell’s final memory of Six Nations games against England in Dublin.

“Yeah, yeah it probably is,” he said. “There’s no point codding myself too much . . . Yeah I’d say that’s probably my last home Six Nations match against England.

“I just genuinely haven’t decided what to do yet. I really enjoy the playing at the moment in the set up we have in Ireland but I’m conscious that we have very good secondrows as well.

“They’re coming through and as I say the World Cup is a big focus for me and I want to go there in the best shape as I can. That’ll be decision time for me.”

O’Connell predicted the hardest test for Grand Slam glory will come in Wales in a fortnight.

“It’s probably going to be our hardest day of the championship, away from home is obviously harder,” O’Connell said after Ireland equalled their record of 10 consecutive wins.

“They’ve put themselves in with a chance with a big win over in Paris so it’s going to be incredibly difficult.”

Ireland led 9-3 at the interval with Sexton booting three penalties and England's only reply being a George Ford drop goal.

Sexton added another penalty before centre Robbie Henshaw, the official man-of-the-match, claimed the game's only try after 53 minutes and two late Ford penalties counted for nothing.

“Our first-half discipline was very good and the first 20 minutes of the second half was excellent,” O’Connell added.

“Our outhalf kicked very well and got the points over the bar and we played a lot of great rugby to get 19-3 up.

“The comeback was a bit disappointing but I’ve got a lot of respect for this England team, to beat them we’re delighted.

“The try gave us massive breathing space. Our discipline got those points on the board and when you can tag a try onto that it’s a long way back for the other team.”