How do you replace a player like Paul O'Connell?
That's the question facing Joe Schmidt and Anthony Foley right now, after the talisman left these shores to join up with Toulon.
Munster appear to be struggling to replace his leadership skills, with CJ Stander left to carry the team in the absence of Conor Murray, Tommy O'Donnell, and Peter O'Mahony.
There are more candidates to lead Ireland than in Munster, but the country appears divided about who should be the next Irish rugby captain. Former Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip looks like the favourite, but there are calls for Sean O'Brien, Robbie Henshaw, and Peter O'Mahony to replace Paul O'Connell as Ireland's captain.
Who does Ronan O'Gara think should be the leader for the upcoming Six Nations? One Rory Best. In O'Gara's opinion, Peter O'Mahony is the next natural leader, but he would benefit more from learning behind another leader from another province.
Peter O’Mahony displayed all the credentials (effortlessly, too) to be a future captain of Ireland. Nothing that has happened since changes my view on that. But it would be no harm to his education to play under another skipper now, preferably one from a different province.
There's no rush to cement O'Mahony as the next permanent captain, especially with the Munster flanker out of the Six Nations with an ACL injury.
See Also: The 'Sean O'Brien For Ireland Captain' Hype Train Is Picking Up Serious Momentum
O'Gara thinks that the experience of Rory Best, who would be a good temporary solution who might not make it to the next World Cup would be a logical choice for Schmidt:
I’ve been in the trenches with Rory Best. I know what it means to him, I know what his beliefs are, his standards. He’s a warrior. And for me, he’s the standout choice to be Paul O’Connell’s successor.
It's hard to argue with O'Gara's logic - O'Mahony has always appeared to be an Irish captain in the making. He may have been a bit raw early in his career, but O'Mahony has grown as a leader, and learning from someone like Rory Best could be the last step in his leadership development.
[Irish Examiner]
See Also: Joe Schmidt Wasn't Having Any Of Ivan Yates Questioning About The Irish Captaincy
Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILEmm
