The Ireland captain was asked after the grand slam victory whether Eddie Jones’s derogatory remarks about the country revealed a few days before had been motivation for the champions. Best showed class in his reply that was to the effect: who had not found themselves in a position like that? The most-capped player in the team is not among the most celebrated, but every side needs a Best to hold it together, selfless to the point where the team comes first, second and third. He has been on two Lions tours and did not make a Test appearance, but there was never any moaning or boat-rocking. He will be 36 in August and the head coach, Joe Schmidt, will have to decide whether a key part of his set-up will make it to the World Cup.
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