WORCESTER WARRIORS HEAD coach Alan Solomons has praised the contribution of former Ireland lock Donncha O’Callaghan, who marked his final match before retirement by captaining Worcester in yesterday’s win over Harlequins.
“He is such a nice guy and what a way to finish,” said Solomons. “He has all his family here.”
Munster legend O’Callaghan, who is retiring at 39 years young, said: “I have been lucky to be part of successful teams but I have seen another side of rugby with one down the other end.
It has been enjoyable and I’ve made some incredible friends.”
🎥 “I’ve had a great time in rugby. I now go back to my main role as a supporter and I look forward to enjoying it from the cosy seats!”@docallaghan4 thanks fans as he brings down the curtain on his career… pic.twitter.com/Ut6luTximz
— Worcester Warriors 🏉 (@WorcsWarriors) April 28, 2018
“It was a great performance and it just showed what it meant to us to be in the Premiership,” he added. “We’ve had a rollercoaster season and it’s been disappointing at times but there is plenty of character and we showed that when we hit our straps we can be really good.
It was super. My kids were just looking to have fun and they enjoyed it. I’ll be honest, there are special moments in their lives and that will be one of them. Just seeing how proud they were was super.
“I’ve had a great time in rugby all my life and the last three years have been special. I feel so privileged and proud to walk away from a game I love and I now go back to my main role of being a supporter.
“Everyone that has been involved in our brilliant game knows what it means and what it’s about. I’m just so thankful to it and I think it shaped me as a man. I’m so proud to be involved and leave a little mark on it.”
O’Callaghan received a warm reception when he came out onto the pitch with his kids, who wore shirts of the teams he has represented.
Solomons was left bemoaning his side’s maddening inconsistency after they swept aside Harlequins 44-13 to maintain top-flight rugby next season.
The four tries the Midlands club scored in the first half alone were enough to secure the bonus point that sent London Irish, long at the bottom of the table, into the second-tier Championship.
Worcester ran in seven tries in total, centre Jackson Willison grabbing two while wing Bryce Heem, lock Darren Barry, England centre Ben Te’o, scrum-half Francois Hougaard and replacement Jamie Shillcock also crossed Quins’ line.
Yet it said something about Worcester’s season that even with this thumping win they remained 11th in a 12-team Premiership where only the bottom club at the end of the season gets relegated.
I am overjoyed that we have sealed our place next year in the Premiership,” said veteran South African coach Solomons.
“What I found is just the inconsistency of the team,” he added. “Throughout the time I have been here since mid-October, we have beaten Exeter away, we’ve beaten Gloucester, beaten Leicester away, we got four tries against Sarries and I think we have played some super games.
“But what we haven’t done is be consistent enough…That is something we need to address next season and it will be addressed next season.”
- © AFP, 2018 with additional reporting from Ben Blake
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