I’m immensely proud to have captained my country at Under-18, Under-20 and Senior level. I made my full Senior International debut for Ireland in the 2012 Six Nations Championship. My first Senior Ireland jersey is signed by the squad, framed and hangs proudly on the wall at home. In that same year, I was named the IRUPA Young Player of the Year. 

Within a year of earning my first Senior cap, I’d played in all three back row positions for Ireland against some of the best Northern and Southern hemisphere teams. After the 2013 Six Nations, I was honoured to be named as Ireland Captain for the Summer tour to North America where we beat the US and Canada. 

In 2014, we were crowned the Six Nations Champions after our 20-22 away win against France. The 2015 Six Nations was also a close call, but thankfully we came out on top again. It was the first time Ireland had won the trophy back-to-back since 1948. It was a big moment for us as a team. To have such huge support from the Irish fans really helped and it was great to celebrate the dramatic finish together in Murrayfield.