I KNOW WHY I’M NOT CONSIDERED A CAPTAIN

ALWAYS a leader but never regarded as captaincy material. As recently as a fortnight ago Brian O’driscoll was speculating on who could be Ireland captain if Rory Best didn’t make it for the November internationals – he only mentioned Peter O’mahony and Johnny Sexton as candidates. O’driscoll is far from the only one. The only time O’brien has skippered Ireland in 49 caps was two years ago, in a World Cup warm-up against Scotland. When Paul O’connell retired, O’brien threw his hat in the ring but Best (right) got it. Asked why coaches see him as a leader and not a skipper, O’brien said: “I probably know the answer. A few years ago I was burning the candle at both ends. For the likes of coaches seeing you coming down here (to his club Tullow) once or twice a week, or going to coach a team on a Sunday, it’s probably not the best thing to do with your body in their eyes. “While they know you have the leadership qualities, is it the thing you want your captain doing?” Farming enthusiast O’brien (left) admits that with maturity has come a better awareness of what he should be doing. He explained: “When you’re at a young age, mid-20s, you think you can do all this stuff. “As you go year on year and have picked up a few injuries and knocks you’re going, ‘What’s contributing to all this?’. Maybe I was on my feet too long or I didn’t recover properly or I wasn’t doing the right things. And you get smarter.”