O’Brien: I want to become Irish skipper

HIS performances on the pitch have already marked him out as a leader and Seán O’Brien, left, admits captaining his country is a box he is eager to tick.

“Down the line, you obviously have aspirations to captain your country,” said the Leinster back row. “It would be a great honour.”

At just 24 and with only 15 caps to his credit, O’Brien’s time as skipper is probably a few years away and the smart money to take over from the injured Brian O’Driscoll next year is on Paul O’Connell or Rory Best. “Paulie is there and knows the system. He is a great leader on the field, as is Rory.” —