Former Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan paid tribute to Ireland captain Paul O’Connell after injury forced a premature end to his international career.
It was confirmed this morning that a severe hamstring injury sustained against France will see him miss the rest of the Rugby World Cup.
The Irish skipper had always intended to retire from international rugby at the end of the World Cup, ahead of a move to France to play for Toulon.
A brief IRFU statement read: "Paul will not play again at Rugby World Cup 2015 and his time out of the game will depend on the outcome of the surgery."
Leinster second row Mike McCarthy has been called up to join the squad but O’Sullivan insists that O’Connell’s presence and influence is irreplaceable.
"He’s definitely right up there with Brian O’Driscoll. Brian has stepped off the stage now and is gone, Paul was there and took on the mantle and I think he’s delivered everything Brian O’Driscoll delivered in the leadership stakes," he said.
"It’s terrible to see him leave like this but probably leaving in the throes of such an iconic performance is a good way to see a soldier leave the battlefield.
"He’ll be sorely missed, it’s hard to put a measure on his contribution, it’s just extraordinary what he’s contributed to the team. He made a massive contribution in the team when he wasn’t captain, when Brian O’Driscoll was captain, the support for Brian that he gave was extraordinary."
O’Sullivan gave O’Connell his first international cap in 2002, and struggled to put into words just how important the former Munster player has been for Ireland throughout his career.
"We’re going to run out of superlatives to describe O’Connell as time goes on,” he said.
“He’s made a major impact in a green shirt from his first cap, which was my first game in charge against Wales back in 2002 in the 6 Nations.
"Over 13-and-a-half years and what he’s packed into that and he’s achieved. I wish him well in his recovery but I hope he’s back on the rugby field again, even if it’s not in an Ireland shirt."
