Ireland legend surprised Andy Farrell decided against ‘clean sweep’ for Six Nations

Former Ireland forward Keith Wood feels that the time would have been right to overhaul the squad, but can understand Andy Farrell’s thinking.

Usually, the start of a Rugby World Cup cycle offers a chance to rebuild, especially if the previous generation have passed their peak.

Farrell had one of the most experienced squads at his disposal during the global tournament in France, but he has kept faith with that group.

Next captain after Johnny Sexton

Peter O’Mahony, who is 34, was named captain for the 2024 Six Nations, getting the nod over the younger James Ryan, Garry Ringrose, Dan Sheehan and Caelan Doris.

There are also no uncapped players in the Ireland squad as the head coach opts for short-term success over medium and long-term development.

“I wasn’t certain that it was going to happen; I’m not going to pretend that it was,” Wood told Off The Ball in reference to O’Mahony being named captain.

“I thought there might have been a clean sweep and a ‘let’s move with the next generation’ to see what would happen, and you would still have Peter there to give the leadership he gives automatically.

“Maybe this is a way of easing the pressure on younger guys and easing the route for the next captain.

“It’s an unbelievable honour to be told you’re captain for the day, but it’s a huge honour to be told you’re going to be the captain for the prestige tournament that the Six Nations is.”

O’Mahony’s captaincy tenure is unlikely to continue through until the next World Cup and Wood believes that he will not last the full 80 minutes during the Six Nations.

That could, therefore, pave the way for his potential successor to gain experience doing the role while not having it full-time.

“He’s an elder statesman now and it’s only going to be for a period of time, it can only be for a period of time,” the former Ireland hooker said.

“Also, he will go off after 55 or 60 minutes; that’s what is going to happen, so there’s going to be another player that comes through and has an opportunity to lead at the end of the game.”

Leadership qualities

Despite some reservations over Farrell’s Six Nations decision, Wood believes that O’Mahony is a natural leader and brings out the best in his team-mates.

He added: “I remember talking to Anthony Foley about him when he came on the scene, and Foley loved him, absolutely loved him. He thought he was a total throwback and he’d fit into any era.

“He said: ‘He’s raw, he’s aggressive, he’s a proper leader and guys listen to him.’ One of the elements for a lot of leaders and leadership is that people follow them; that’s unbelievably important.

“It isn’t about what they are or what they do; it’s how people react to them. Munster reacted very well to his presence last week.

“He’s a stern-looking grouch, and I think a lot of that goes to standards. When that happens in training, everybody feels that they have to up their game.

“He sets an expectation for a higher standard. Last year, he struggled for a long part of the year with Munster; he didn’t reach the heights that he had reached.

“He had a bit of a dip in form, but when he put on the Ireland jersey, he seemed to excel. Some of his best rugby was there.”

READ MORE: Winners and losers from Ireland’s Six Nations squad, including Jonathan Sexton’s replacement