The pros and cons of Ireland duty: skipper O’Connell skips baby feeds

Ireland captain Paul O’Connell is banishing retirement talk but admits international action exerts growing domestic pressures.

Talking to In Touch - the official IRFU online magazine - the Munster lock, who became a dad for the second time lately, admitted his profession excused him from some parenting tasks.

“You have to stay completely focussed on the match. It puts a lot of pressure on the family. We had a baby three months ago and the first month of that I spent in camp so the baby was in a sleeping routine by the time I got home, which is great.