Despite speculation that Jamie Heaslip was going to get the gig in the long run, Joe Schmidt has confirmed that Paul O’Connell will captain the side for the foreseeable future.
Heaslip will skipper the side against Samoa as O’Connell sits on the bench for the clash against Samoa this weekend, but the Munster man will presumably return as captain for the clashes against Australia and New Zealand later this month and retain it for the Six Nations next season.
Apart from the captaincy issue, Schmidt has come up with a few surprises with his selection for this weekend. Paddy Jackson starts at out-half as expected but Jonathan Sexton isn’t even on the bench, with Ian Madigan set to act as replacement out-half instead as Sexton is given the weekend off to recover from a nagging hip complaint and the exerting start to his Racing Metro career.
Jack McGrath is handed his first start in the front row, while Leinster duo Mike McCarthy and Devin Toner will line-out in the second row ahead of a back row of Peter O’Mahony, Chris Henry and Heaslip.
Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy continue the second longest-serving centre partnership in international rugby, with Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe and Fergus McFadden forming the back three.
Schmidt also has plenty of ammunition to call on from the bench, as Cian Healy, Sean O’Brien and O’Connell are amongst those available to come into the fray when required.
Ireland team to play Samoa: R Kearney; T Bowe, B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, F McFadden; P Jackson, C Murray; J McGrath, R Best, M Ross; M McCarthy, D Toner; P O’Mahony, Chris Henry, J Heaslip (captain).
Substitutes: Cronin, Healy, Fitzpatrick, O’Connell, O’Brien, Reddan, Madigan, Dave Kearney
