Schmidt praises Best as he confirms hooker for World Cup captaincy

Joe Schmidt praised Rory Best’s work ethic and ability to bounce back from is personal Twickenham disappointments as he confirmed the veteran hooker as Ireland’s captain to lead his team into the World Cup in Japan.

Best, 37, has announced he is to retire following his fourth and final World Cup appearance this autumn having previously played in the 2007, 2011, and 2015 campaigns. Yet there were question marks raised in some quarters as to whether he would even make the final squad of 31 following a below-par performance in a misfiring team that was hammered 57-15 by England at Twickenham on August 24.