Paul O'Connell refutes Pau link ahead of Ireland's Australia date
Friday 21 November 2014 14:55, UK
Ireland captain Paul O'Connell says there is nothing to reports linking him with a move to French club Pau.
O'Connell laughed off talk he was about to bring an early end to his Munster contract - which ends in 2016 - to join the Division Two club.
"I don't know anything about it. I don't know where it came from," O'Connell said.
"I suppose it's the fact that James Coughlan and Simon Mannix are there and I knew them at Munster, but there's been nothing done on my behalf, and nothing done on Pau's behalf anyway.
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"I'm contracted until the summer of 2016, so I just don't know where it came from."
Toughest day
O'Connell quickly turned his attention to Saturday's clash with Australia and he is keen to avoid a repeat of the 32-15 defeat in Dublin last season - a game he says Ireland were 'taken apart' in.
"I think it was a toughest day (under Joe Schmidt), yeah," said O'Connell when reviewing last year's Australia defeat.
"There was a lot of excitement when Joe took over the job. He'd been so successful with Leinster, and I think we had a lot of really good things in place going into the game.
I don't know anything about it. I don't know where it came from
"But ultimately there's a few things in rugby as well, that no matter who's coaching or who you're playing or where you're playing that are really important.
"The physical confrontation, being built up for that and ready for that, is massive.
"And I think in that game last year were weren't in the right place, and were just so far ahead of us in that regard. In so many aspects of the game they took us apart, and that was the big disappointment in that game.
"That's where we realised you have to be able to marry the two, you have to be able to marry the detail, the knowledge of your role, with the big, physical confrontation you need to be able to manage as well."
Watch Ireland's clash with Australia live on Sky Sports 2 HD on Saturday afternoon - coverage starts at 4:00pm.
