In steps 32-year-old O’Connell, no stranger to the responsibility of leading out a team as he is currently captain of Munster and has skippered the British & Irish Lions.

O’Connell has led Ireland in the past, against France in 2004 and against England in a World Cup warm-up clash, and he admits his excitement of doing it all over again when the men in green kickstart their tournament against Wales at the Aviva Stadium on February 5.

"To captain Ireland is a huge honour for me and I was delighted when Declan asked me to," said O'Connell.

"We are lucky in the Ireland squad that we have a couple of outstanding leaders across the pitch, and I know that I will be relying on them during the championship.

"It was good to come back together for the first time since the World Cup, and I am now just looking forward to February and to the challenge of the championship."