Sean O’Brien an obvious captain in Irish rugby's changing of the guard

It almost passed unnoticed. Some who attended may have played no hand, act or part in Ireland’s ultimately disappointing World Cup experience three months ago but were in attendance when the book was finally closed on the 2015 event by the Irish players and management at Carton House on Sunday.

With fresh young faces in attendance for the first time, the likes of Stuart McCloskey, Ultan Dillane, Garry Ringrose, CJ Stander, Luke McGrath and Josh van Der Flier, it won’t have gone unnoticed to seasoned veterans like Johnny Sexton, Rory Best, Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney and Sean O Brien that we are about to see a changing of the guard.

The biggest vacuum has been left by the squad’s spiritual leader and captain Paul O’Connell who himself turned the final leaf of his spectacular career by moving his family to Toulon over the weekend.