'That sore feeling rolls into excitement' - O'Connor learning and teaching lessons

The week began with a simple tweet from Aoife McDermott.

Just over 18 hours after chipping with 12 tackles, all successful, from Ireland's total of 229, during the 69-0 mismatch against England, as if to make a point, the second row and nurse by day posted a selfie from her station with the caption 'Back to it!’ followed by three ‘sleeping face’ emojis.

Former Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan outlined on Monday's Against The Head the differences in a typical match-day week between professional and amateur players.

It was stark.

Former Ireland captain @CoghlanFiona runs through the differences between professional and amateur match-week preparations with this indicative comparison #RTERugby #AgainstTheHead pic.twitter.com/LXrEmHMtAG

Hannah O’Connor knows how McDermott felt. The maker of 18 tackles in the same game was up at the crack of dawn last Monday morning to begin her work in Scoil Mhuire Girls National School in Lucan.

As the England team were sorting out their passports for a short hop to France to spend a week in the EU preparing for a Grand Slam decider, O’Connor was trying to ignore the lactic acid burning her limbs to teach her fledglings some lessons.

Since graduating through CYM to Blackrock to Leinster, it’s a Monday morning routine the 32-year-old is well used to.

"We got back on Sunday about 8 o'clock, got the washing kick-started or else it would have been left for a long time," she replies when asked about her return to civilian life.

"Back into work on Monday. I’m a primary school teacher so work on Monday and Tuesday and got my kids prepped for the week, got them realising I’d be abandoning them again for the latter stages of the week and reassuring them that this is the last time I’ll be missing them.

"So, get