Peter O’Mahony is adamant that the Ireland captaincy will not affect his playing style as he prepares to lead the Men in Green on their summer tour to North America.
The 23-year-old back row, who has won 14 caps for Ireland including all five matches of their 2013 RBS 6 Nations campaign, got the nod for the captaincy after Rory Best was called up to the Lions squad.
O’Mahony leads a youthful looking team and the Munster flanker is Ireland’s youngest captain since Brian O’Driscoll led the side in Australia in 2002.
But O’Mahony does not believe it will change how he performs on the pitch.
“There are a couple of more things before the game and you go up for the coin toss but it certainly doesn’t change the way I play,” he told the Irish Independent.
“It is a bit different, there are certain things that you have to do differently. You have to do what you normally do on the pitch, I won’t be carrying myself any differently, you just do what you normally do and try and look after the lads.
“It’s a huge honour for me and my family. I was delighted to get the call and delighted for Besty as well.
“It’s an exciting time for the squad, there’s a blend of young players and experience, so it should be interesting.”
