Peter O’Mahony wants team to pick up where they left off

Peter O’Mahony will resume the Ireland captaincy for the first time since November 2016 this morning, urging his team to pick up where they left off when beating England at Twickenham to clinch the Grand Slam.

Ireland’s first game since that stirring St Patrick’s Day triumph kicks off against Australia at Suncorp Stadium as the tourists bid to beat the Wallabies for the first time since 1979, with two further Tests against Michael Cheika’s side on successive Saturdays in Melbourne and Sydney.

While the Irish come in as favourites after their Six Nations sweep elevated them to number two in the world rankings, finding similar form after three training sessions and a long-haul flight from Dublin could make it unrealistic to think O’Mahony’s side can be as effective as they were during the championship.