Intro:

Ireland captain Paul O'Connell discusses the 2015 Six Nations Championship and his intention to be in 'as best physical shape as possible' for the upcoming World Cup in London on Wednesday.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Paul O'Connell, Ireland captain

(on preparations ahead of the Six Nations and the focus on the Italy game):

"Oh well look, I mean, it's the way we prepare for these games, you know. We came into camp at Christmas and I suppose, you know, you're expecting a review of the Autumn and a look forward to the year ahead and the only thing we focused on during our Christmas camp was Italy. Preparing for how they attack, how we'll attack, how we'll defend set pieces and it was just a very narrow focus on the game itself. And it's been the same, we've only been in camp for two days now, but it's been the exact same. A very narrow focus on Italy and there isn't a whole lot of talk about the bigger picture of trying to defend the title or anything like that, it's just trying to get a job done against Italy."

SOUNDBITE (English) Paul O'Connell, Ireland captain

(on Ireland's preparations not being distracted by the upcoming World Cup):

"Yeah, I suppose that's the way, Joe's (Ireland coach Josef Schmidt) way of preparing and you know, it is effective. You just don't know what way the championship will pan out, what you need to do, what players will be injured and what players won't. You probably have a good idea who you have available for selection in the first game and who they have available for selection and that's the one you can prepare for and the next game is the most important one and I suppose that's the focus we're taking and I suppose it's a good way of avoiding all the distractions."

SOUNDBITE (English) Paul O'Connell, Ireland captain

(on the possibility of this campaign being O' Connell's last Six Nations):

"If it is my last Six Nations, it wouldn't be... I don't think I'll do anything different, or prepare any differently, or become any more emotional about it, I mean, I'm contracted to the summer of 2016 and I want to play in the World Cup and be in as best physical condition as I can for the World Cup and you know, I'll make a decision then and that's genuinely where I am at the moment."