Former Ireland international Tony Ward believes Sean O’Brien would be the ideal man to lead Ireland into the Six Nations.
Rory Best, Jamie Heaslip, Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien and Conor Murray are all thought to be in the frame to replace the recently retired Paul O’Connell.
Leinster’s Jamie Heaslip has deputised in the past, but his credentials as a captain have been called into question by some quarters of the media.
His dealings with the press have not always been amicable, in the wake of their opening Champions Cup loss to Wasps, Irish Independent rugby correspondent Ruaidhri O'Connor was particularly critical of Heaslip’s behaviour when dealing with the media.
“Jamie Heaslip, their captain after Isa Nacewa's late withdrawal with a knee injury, was presented to the media in the aftermath to explain the defeat but instead lapsed into the behaviour of a spoilt child deprived of a promised trip to McDonald's.”
“Short, surly answers and snarky put-downs might have felt good to the would-be Ireland captain as he headed back to the dressing-room, but having just led his province to a record European defeat he might have chosen a more humble approach.”
Tony Ward believes the next Ireland captain must be able to handle media dealings with courtesy and dignity, to date something Heaslip has not always done:
With Leinster and Munster struggling in Europe, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt could look north for a new captain. Ulster’s Rory Best is a popular choice with fans, pundits and players for the job.
But Ward believes Sean O’Brien would be a perfect long term successor. The former Irish international compared the Tullow tank to the great Brian O’Driscoll when he spoke to Jamie Moore on 98FM’s Now That’s What I Call Sport.
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