Ireland captain Paul O'Connell is unsure if the upcoming Six Nations will be his final one.

The Munster second row has already intimated that he could possibly retire after the World Cup, or when his contract runs out in the summer of 2016.

Speaking to Off The Ball's Dave McIntyre at the 2015 Six Nations launch, O'Connell said will be available until the end of this autumn's World Cup at least.

"I don't know," said the Limerick man. "I'm contracted until the summer of 2016 and I obviously want to go to the World Cup. I want to play as well as I can in the World Cup so it'll either be then after the World Cup or that summer.

"I genuinely haven't made a decision yet," he added, before joking: "You can't hit my age and not think of the after-life. I think about it a lot all day and then you remind me every Tuesday when we meet. I'll just have to get used to it." 

Casting his eye over Ireland's rivals in the Six Nations, O'Connell noted that many of the Welsh players are in good form, Scotland are improving under Vern Cotter and that England and France are always strong.

The 35-year-old is also wary of dark horses Italy as Ireland travel to Rome for their opening game of the championship.

"Italy, we've struggled against them in recent years - certainly in Rome," O'Connell asserted. "We lost there last time. [Ronan O'Gara] had to kick a drop-goal to win there four years ago so it's a tougher fixture list than you'd think it is."