Paul O’Connell believes Joe Schmidt will revive Australia’s fortunes - Former Ireland boss Schmidt was appointed by the Wallabies in January.

It’s doubtful that Paul O’Connell has many regrets about his illustrious playing career, yet one suspects that he would have loved another few years playing for Ireland under Joe Schmidt.

Ireland were flying, New Zealand were a mixed bag and 36 years of World Cup history was casually dismissed amid widespread predictions of Irish victory in their Paris quarter-final.

The affable Canberran was in the coaches' box at Croker for that seismic Munster v Leinster showdown in 2009 and, 15 years later, he's back in Dublin - this time alongside Joe Schmidt, not against him