Serendipity played a conspicuous role in guiding Alan O’Connor to the position of Ireland’s forwards coach for the women’s Six Nations. It was a merging a of circumstances, several of which had no obvious links.
Three years ago, the Skerries-born secondrow did some coaching at Ballymena Academy. He was in year 10 of 13 with the day job – playing and, at times, captaining Ulster. Last summer he had a year left on his contract when he was cut loose by the province, which he summarises succinctly: “[The] money just went elsewhere.”
He’s married to a Belfast woman and has a two-year-old child with another on the way, so settling up north was an easy sell for the Dubliner.
His time in the Ballymena school paid dividends as he was later approached to become their head of rugby development. The IRFU invested in the schools in the province, which enabled Ballymena to offer O’Connor a position. There was a further legacy.
“I coached in Ballymena three years ago now,” he says. “We did well and I really enjoyed it and then got those contacts . . . the guys who I’d worked with three years ago are still there and then they wanted to bring me in as well, so that worked out all right.”
He continued to play rugby for Ballymena in the All Ireland League until a broken elbow put paid to the season, closely following an ankle surgery last summer. He still keeps an eye on his brother David, who plays in the secondrow for Connacht.
When Ireland were looking to replace Alex Codling as forwards coach for the Six Nations, IRFU performance director David Humphreys contacted Ballymena Academy principal Stephen Black to see if he could spare O’Connor for the duration of the tournament.
O’Connor met head coach Scott Bemand at a motorway service station. Their ideas aligned and Gillian McDarby, the IRFU’s head of women’s performance and pathways, formalised the appointment. He didn’t need any convincing.
“As a player, it was always the end goal, trying to play for your country. I never got there. I was [included] in a couple of extended squads, but that was it. Never got in, never played. To be involved with Ireland in any way is an honour and I’m buzzing to be here.”
The 33-year-old has loved every minute of the experience. He came down to Dublin in January for a two-day camp to get a feel for his new position, paying tribute to the work done by his predecessor, Codling.
“He did a great job, so I didn’t change too much. I’m looking to build on what’s already there in terms of the foundation that they’ve put in. Fogs (Denis Fogarty) is doing a great job with the forwards as well, with all the contact stuff. And Scase (James Scaysbrook), he’s doing a great job around defence; a great help.”
O’Connor has seen the game from many vantage points. This has informed his preference for players taking ownership, rather than waiting to be told what to do.
He does impart some of the experience he banked as a player, but says his charges are well versed and capable of coming up with a suite of in-game options.
“We’d have the lineout leaders and there’s a fair few of them who have good heads for it as well.
“They do their due diligence, they’d be on top of their analysis, and then we come up with a plan: how to win ball, steal ball, score maul tries and make sure we don’t concede maul tries.”
In their 26-7 third-round loss to France, Ireland certainly had opportunities to score, particularly in the first half. Ultimately, however, they received a painful reminder of what happens when you don’t take your chances.
He says the squad have reviewed the defeat and resolved to be more clinical when they face Wales at Affidea Stadium on Saturday (6.30pm), a homecoming of sorts for O’Connor.
“We’ve had a good track record in terms of results the past while up there, so I’m looking forward to it. But Wales are a dangerous side. They’ve got a good set piece but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
The Ireland team to face Wales will be announced on Thursday afternoon.
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