HE MAY have won 94 caps for Ireland and captained the British and Irish Lions but Donncha O’Callaghan was “like a kid in a sweet shop” skippering Worcester Warriors in the European Challenge Cup.

It has been a strange season for the 37-year-old Munster legend who has played 11 times in the Aviva Premiership.

However, he was dropped for top-tier matches against reigning champions Saracens and relegation rivals Bristol.

But O'Callaghan, who won the Six Nations Grand Slam with Ireland in 2009 and two Heineken Cup titles with Munster, appeared to enjoy Worcester’s 57-14 thrashing of Enisei-STM in last Saturday's Pool Three dead-rubber at Sixways.

“Donncha epitomises all the good values that we create at Worcester,” explained Warriors head coach Carl Hogg.

“He’s got huge endeavour and work ethic and is an extremely outstanding rugby player in the way he applies himself on and off the field and that was characterised in the way he performed on Saturday.

“He was very much a focal point of our performance and his leadership was very strong.”

The lock featured 22 times in the Premiership under then Warriors director of rugby Dean Ryan last term but is being linked with a summer switch to French Division Two minnows Narbonne.

O’Callaghan was a surprise omission from Hogg’s first Premiership match in charge against Saracens at Twickenham in September.

He was also axed for Worcester’s relegation showdown with Bristol on Boxing Day. Warriors lost both matches.

Hogg said: “I thought Donncha was outstanding last weekend.

"For somebody of his experience and his age, he was like a kid in a sweet shop and loving it and just wanting to put on a Warriors jersey. That’s a great reflection on Donncha as an individual.”

O’Callaghan played the full 80 minutes against the Russians and started in the second row for the first time alongside former Bath lock Will Spencer.

The partnership worked and could be an option for Warriors as they look to climb away from the Premiership relegation zone.

Hogg added: “We had Donncha’s industrious work-rate around the track and Will gave us a level of collision. Will’s a big man who hits hard and carries well. That was very effective for us.”