Schmidt turns to icon O’Connell to lead Ireland into new era

NOVEMBER INTERNATIONALS:

Former Munster and & Lions skipper O’Connell, 34, was appointed captain of country yesterday by the new head coach ahead of the previous incumbent, fellow forward Jamie Heaslip, who must settle for the vice-captaincy.

Yet the birth of the Schmidt regime tomorrow against Samoa at the Aviva Stadium will see its leader start from the replacement’s bench, the Ireland management choosing to leave O’Connell and fellow 2013 Lions Cian Healy and Sean O’Brien in abeyance due to their lack of training time in camp following recent injuries.

So no.8 Heaslip will captain Ireland one more time, one of nine Leinster players in their former provincial boss’s first national team selection, with four Ulstermen and only two from Munster making up the starting XV to face a Samoan team ranked one place higher in the IRB world rankings at number seven.

It is Schmidt’s choice of replacement lock that deserves top billing, however, with O’Connell, capped 85 times, finally ascending to the captaincy on a permanent basis following numerous occasions standing in for an absent Brian O’Driscoll, having apparently reassured the head coach by stating his desire to play through to the 2015 World Cup in England.

Nothing is set in stone, of course, particularly given O’Connell’s recent spate of injuries, but Schmidt, who kept his decision on the matter under wraps until unveiling his first team yesterday, also appears to have nailed down the captaincy well beyond the next World Cup, intimating that Heaslip was the “heir apparent” in a double act of complementary leadership talents.

“It’s one of those decisions really tough to make and that’s why it’s happened so late,” Schmidt said. “Not just Paul, but another couple of guys who were under injury clouds were also potential leaders and involved in leading the team.

“He has massive respect from the other players and that’s the first thing you need. As does Jamie, that’s why they were a good fit.

“They also complement each other in the way they play and we just think they deliver different things as well so you get that complementary delivery having both of them involved.”

Yet it was unquestionably O’Connell’s time to lead. His credentials speak for themselves and, having captained both Munster and the Lions with distinction, he was a natural fit for this timely personal accolade.

“Paul is incredibly passionate,” Schmidt said. “He’s iconic as a player but also as a person in rugby in Ireland. He’s committed to continuing beyond this season and that was also part of the equation for us as well. To make sure that there was some sort of connection between this season and next. It’s also about having an heir apparent as well. We feel we’ve tried to cover our bases in that context. And, he’s a leader of men.”

Schmidt addressed O’Connell’s recent record of injuries, which has prevented the second-row from representing his country in 19 months, while Heaslip, who was appointed captain at O’Driscoll’s expense last season by Declan Kidney, offered a remarkably fit alternative, not least this weekend.

The Leinster No.8 said accepting the vice-captaincy was “very easy”.

“It’s a huge honour for me to still be representing the players as well,” Heaslip said. “To be honest anyone out of our leadership group, could step up and a lot are involved in the team or on the bench so you’ve got a core there of the team so it doesn’t matter who is given the title, but obviously it’s a great honour this week to be captain of the side.

“When Joe told me what the lay of the land was on ... that’s what it is, I was like ‘cool, what’s the next thing?’ because you’ve got to focus on the next thing which is the game at hand.”

Schmidt said O’Driscoll, who will start his final international season before retirement in partnership in midfield again with Gordon D’Arcy, had “ruled himself out” of the captaincy, but, having fully recovered from a calf strain that has restricted him to just 70 minutes’ action with Leinster this season, the coach conceded his veteran outside centre may be itching to play the full 80 minutes tomorrow.

“That will be a ball in play decision. In an ideal world, 60 minutes would be a good re-introduction, but, to be honest, he is such a fighter, if we need to go to the trenches he’s a great lieutenant and foot soldier, so he’s a great combination for us.”

With Healy on the bench, Schmidt has handed his Leinster understudy Jack McGrath a Test debut starting at loosehead, while Devin Toner partners Mike McCarthy in the second row and Ulster openside flanker Chris Henry gets the nod ahead of O’Brien.

Racing Metro fly-half Johnny Sexton will no play no part against Samoa, having injured his hip flexor in training this week, with Paddy Jackson winning the contest for the number 10 jersey over Ian Madigan, although Schmidt said the rest would give Sexton every chance of facing Australia in eight days.

Meanwhile, Samoan scrum-half Kahn Fotuali’i believes his side will use this game as a foundation stone towards their bid to reach the knockout stages of Rugby World Cup 2015.

The Samoans sit seventh in the world standings, one place above Joe Schmidt’s Ireland.

“On paper the squad looks strong: now the challenge is to transfer that to the field,” he said.

“It’s a great challenge to take on Ireland and an exciting one. That progression we’ve talked about has to step up again this weekend.

“We fight for results and victories: years in the past certain wins might have been viewed by some as shocks, and maybe even Samoa saw them like that too. But it’s not that way anymore.”