Eddie O'Sullivan today paid tribute to veteran prop Peter Clohessy, who makes his 54th and final appearance in the green jersey at the Stade de France tomorrow.
O'Sullivan said that the 36-year-old Clohessy, nicknamed the "Claw", had been much misunderstood during a long career that has seen him banned several times.
The most notable was when Clohessy received a 26-week suspension for stamping on French lock Olivier Roumat during the 1996 Five Nations clash.
"We will miss him big time," O'Sullivan said. "There are a big pair of boots to fill, not so much for his play but for his leadership qualities which he has displayed many times over the years.
"When he was created God broke the mould, for he is some character and we will miss him dearly," O'Sullivan said.
O'Sullivan said he was saddened that Clohessy might retire with only his reputation for tough play being mentioned. "Sure he is a hard-nosed tough competitor but there are other aspects to his play which are now only being recognised such as his ability to run with the ball and to deliver a killer pass like he did against Italy last time out.
"We are a young, improving side in general but we also have to have our warriors and Peter is definitely chief among them . . . he is a big loss," the coach said.
Clohessy, who only returned to the game after his long suspension over the Roumat incident after his wife persuaded him to, is unlikely to get the same raucous farewell from the French crowd as when he left the Landsdowne pitch against Italy a fortnight ago.
"I don't like France, and I don't like French people," he told The Irish Timesearlier this season. "I actually don't like them. Maybe they think we're English when we go over there, but they're not helpful," he said.