Tuhia he tomokanga mō tēnei wāhanga - I te kēmu whakatuwheratanga o Ireland o te 2004 Six Nations Championship, ko O'Connell te rangatira o te taha i te kore o Brian O'Driscoll. I takaro ano ia i te keemu ki a Scotland i te 27 o Poutu-te-rangi 2004, i wini ai a Ireland i ta raatau Karauna Tuatoru tuatahi mo nga tau 19. I riro ano hoki a O'Connell i te hiriwa i te taha o te karapu i te wa i wini ai a Munster i te whakamutunga whakamutunga o te Celtic Cup, i te patu i a Llanelli Scarlets 27<unk>16 i Lansdowne Road i te 14 o Mei 2005. I uru hoki ia ki te kapa o Ireland i toa i te Karauna Tokotoru i te 2006 Six Nations Championship
, e tākaro ana i tētahi wikitoria nui 24-28 ki Ingarangi hei whakaū i te Karauna. I eke ia i te whakamatau a-ao whakamutunga i te Old Lansdowne Road i mua i te wawahanga me te hanga ano hei Aviva Stadium, i roto i te wikitoria 61-17 i runga i nga Moutere o te Moananui a Kiwa.