The Ulster hooker will be 37 by the time the 2019 World Cup rolls around.
Joe Schmidt is expected to name Ireland’s next captain today.
With Munster captain Peter O’Mahony expected to miss most of the Six Nations, it appears that Schmidt will have to choose between Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip and Rory Best.
Sexton may be spared the added duties that come with captaincy, despite his eagerness to lead his country.
It leaves Heaslip and Best as the leading senior players to take over from Paul O’Connell. Both have captained their country before and would have the backing of their teammates.
Schmidt assembled 50 Irish players at Carton House in early January and may have already settled on the man to lead his team out against Wales on February 7. Best told the Belfast Telegraph:
“Paul O’Connell is a talismanic leader and to follow him would be a massive honour.
“There is a group Joe will choose from and whoever does take over will have a massive task.
“To work alongside Joe Schmidt in a coach-captain relationship would be great.”
SportsJOE ran a poll on the Irish captaincy following last year’s World Cup. O’Mahony [73%] dominated the voting, with Heaslip [17%] next and Best [10%] third.
With O’Mahony out of the picture, it appears Best may now be the leading candidate.
