Tuhia he tomokanga mō tēnei wāhanga - I tākaro tuatahi a O'Connell mō Ireland ki Wales i te 2002 Six Nations Championship
, ka tīmata i te taha o Mick Galwey, ā, ka eke ki te whakamātautau. Ahakoa te eke ki tenei whakamatautau, kaore a O'Connell i te mahara ki te haurua tuatahi, e maumahara ana: "I eke ahau ki te whakamatautau engari kaore au e mahara. I haere ahau ki te whakaeke i a Craig Quinnell, a, i patua au e ia ki te korokoro. I purei ahau mō ētahi atu meneti 25, i eke ki tētahi whakamātau, kātahi, i te mutunga, e whitu meneti te roa o te hawhe tuatahi, ka puta mai ahau. Kāore au i tino mōhio he aha te mea e tupu ana, nō reira i haere atu au i te papa".