Paul O’Connell is in line to reach a century of Ireland caps on Saturday and the veteran British & Irish Lions lock admits that in the twilight of his international career, winning means even more.
Ireland have plenty to play for, visiting Wales this weekend and seeking to extend their unbeaten run which stands at an impressive ten games.
However, the occasion will be extra special for O’Connell – who presently has 99 caps to his name for the Men in Green.
The 35-year-old, who has been on three Lions tours, insists not much has changed since he first pulled on the jersey.
But one thing that has grown in recent years is his desire for that winning feeling.
“When you are coming towards the end you appreciate that there won't be many more of them,” he told In Touch magazine.
“You want them all to be good days. You want to have that feeling in the dressing room after you win. It means more now I think.
“Now that I am older, I realise that it might have come a little easy to me when I was 22. There were a couple of injuries at Munster and I got in. There were a couple of injuries at Ireland too and I got picked. It all happened really quickly.
“Now, the more I play, the more I realise how much goes into it and how much the leaders and senior players on the team put into it, to make it easier for a younger lad like me at the time."
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