The extraordinary levels of recognition achieved by Limerick rugby legends Paul O’Connell and Keith Wood could well have overshadowed the stellar
achievements of Peter Clohessy were it not for the remarkable mental and physical resilience of the Young Munster stalwart.
John Scally pays tribute to the man known as ‘The Claw’ in his new book, ’100 Great Irish Rugby Moments’.
PETER Clohessy’s love of Limerick is immediately apparent when he is asked about the highlights of his career.
“I suppose my first highlight was winning the All-Ireland league with Young Munster in 1993. After that, the other highlights were my first cap for Ireland; beating France in Paris in 2000 and England in Twickenham in 1994.”
The Limerick bias is also evident when he is asked to name the characters of rugby: “Mick Galwey, Philip Danaher, Keith Wood and Anthony Foley.”
Another great passion was Munster.
“The low points were losing two European Cup finals with Munster. To be so close twice and to lose on both occasions was very tough. We just seemed to always be the bridesmaids.”
The Claw has happier memories of an English World Cup hero.
‘I always got on well with Justin Leonard. When we played England there was always a bit of banter between us because we’d been playing against each other so long. With about 20 minutes to go of our trouncing in Twickenham in 2002 Justin took me by surprise when he said: “Peter I believe you’re away to a wedding straight after the game?”
“I am not sure how he knew that but I was indeed off to a friend’s wedding in Cork immediately after the match. I replied: ‘The quicker I get out of this place the f***king better’”.
The Claw did have some other setbacks.
In 1997 he was chosen to tour with the Lions to South Africa but although he made the trip to London to meet with the squad, he was forced to return home with injury.
Before the 2002 Heineken Cup semi-final, he faced a more serious injury when he was badly burned in a domestic accident. This prompted his wife to remark: ‘I always knew you’d go out in a blaze of glory but I didn’t think you’d literally do it.’
The small matter of multiple skin burns was not enough to deter Clohessy from playing in the game. In solidarity with the Claw Munster fans wore t-shirts to the game saying: ‘Bitten and burnt, but not beaten.’
A happier memory had come earlier that year when his son, Luke, accompanied him as he led the Irish team out against Wales in the Six Nations to celebrate his fiftieth cap. To add to the occasion he was followed closely on to the Lansdowne Road turf by his great friend, Mick Galwey, captaining his country for the first time on the famous sod.
Clohessy played like a man possessed in Ireland’s demolition job of the Welsh, even setting up a try for Geordan Murphy with a masterful reverse-pass. When he was substituted near the end, he received a massive standing ovation.
It was not always thus. One man’s meat is another’s poison.
Clohessy unexpectedly found himself cast as the bete noir of Irish rugby in 1996. During a Five Nations match in Paris he ‘misplaced his boot’ on Olivier Roumat’s head during a ruck. The six foot six, 242 lbs lock was himself no angel. He was once so incensed by the loud snoring of his room-mate Abdel Benazzi on the eve of a Test that he ran over to his bed and punched the mighty Morrocan-born forward.
Clohessy’s character was unfairly traduced after the affair, particularly when considering the amount of intimidation and provocation he was subjected to was ignored. He was quoted after one match against French opposition as saying: “It’s a bit much to have some French f***er gouging you in the eyes without him grabbing you by the bo**ocks as well.”
The six-month ban that ensued and the trial by the media almost caused him to walk away from the game but one maid in shining armour came to his rescue.
“The biggest influence on my career has been my, wife Anna. After all the bashing I got in the media after the stamping incident, I was very tempted to pack in rugby but she persuaded me to stick with it. She really got me through what was a difficult period for me.
“While I was suspended from rugby here I went to play in Brisbane, Australia. That was my first introduction into playing rugby at professional level and an experience I really enjoyed.”
Some birds are not meant to be caged; their feathers are just too bright.
A series of top notch performances for Munster and Ireland quickly earned Clohessy any redemption that might have been necessary in the eyes of rugby fans to the extent that he became a father figure of Irish rugby, especially for young players.
He adhered to the motto of: say little but say it well.
How would he liked to be remembered by Irish rugby fans?
“I’d just like them to think of me as someone who always played in the green jersey or any jersey with passion.”
History has already decreed that this is an incontestable fact.
The Claw has many happy memories from his time in rugby.
“I think the nice thing is when I look back now at my career what I remember most is all the good times we had on and off the pitch. Although we trained hard, we had a lot of fun.
“My fondest memory is before we played Scotland one time. The night before the match Mick Galwey discovered his togs were missing. There was a minor panic because nobody else had any to spare. Eventually someone got him togs.
Ireland were sponsored by Nike at the time. The problem was that Mick’s togs didn’t have the Nike name or swish so someone gave him a black marker and he wrote the name Nike on the togs. Later that night I crept in to his room and changed the word “Nike” to “Mike’ and wrote “Mike loves Joan”.
The next day we were changing in the dressing-room before the match when I saw Mick putting on his togs. He didn’t notice the change but noticed I was laughing him at him. He asked: ‘’Okay, what have you done to me?” When I told him he had a great laugh.
“It was just an hour before a big international but it was a great way of breaking the ice for us.”
