We're not going to stretch things and say Paul O'Connell was at his imperious best today. Now obviously, that's not to say he had a bad game either, far from it in fact.
It will be the tougher tests where O'Connell's importance really comes to the fore but against Italy today he was exactly what the team needed from him. His dominance in the line-out was one of Ireland's key features today and he was always there when he was called upon.
All in all, exactly what we've come to expect of the captain. Granted, that's usually not enough to make a big song and dance about things but these photos, courtesy of Sportsfile, were just too good to not make something of.
Dominant in the line-out:
And always there for back-up just in case he's needed:
Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE
