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Published 18:20 26 Nov 2017 GMT
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Credit: RTE
Credit: RTE[/caption]
There were a few decent carries too and one glorious offload that Rory Best just failed to hold onto. CJ Stander made more carries than O'Brien and O'Mahony put together but all three won their fair share of collisions. This will be Ireland's starting back row in the 2018 Six Nations, fitness allowing.
It was heartening to see Stander getting back to his dynamic best but O'Brien is the key figure in this Irish back row. He gets through so much work and is truly feared and respected by opponents. He is a tough, tough man to shift too. Breakdown dominance is crucial in the winning of most matches and this is magnified at Test level.
O'Brien was one of six Irish players not to miss a tackle in the Argentina triumph but he was the only man to register 10+ tackles without dropping off one or being run over. In fact, O'Brien had 14 successful tackles to go with 12 [and none missed] against the Springboks. He does his job and does it extremely well.
Scotland and England look to be the two big threats in the upcoming Six Nations but Ireland will be confident they can top the table.
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