Veteran forward Cian Healy has said he is enjoying his quiet mentoring role in the Ireland squad as they prepare for next month's World Cup.

Healy won his 124th cap in Saturday's home win over Dublin, and France would be his fourth World Cup.

"I'm not much of a 'sit in a meeting and talk it out' sort of person," the Leinster man said.

"I suppose I like to pull players aside one by one. If I am feeling something that somebody is doing in the scrum is good or bad, or can be worked on, I'll pull them aside, have a chat and look at it on the tape and figure it out with them.

"It is something I like doing. I feel it is important. I have been in a lot of scrums and have been on the other side as well, so have a bit more of an understanding of what loose-heads actually do.

"I have a bit more of a feel for it. I think it is good to have that bit of experience, to have chats with them [the younger players] and maybe to have that opinion that can help further them."

'I rate my career on silverware'

Ireland's 33-17 win over the Italians at the Aviva Stadium was the first of three preparation games they have lined up ahead of the tournament in France, which gets under way on 8 September.

Head coach Andy Farrell and his players are continuing their build-up with a training camp in Portugal before facing England at the Aviva on 19 August and Samoa at the same venue a week later.

Healy became Ireland's joint-third highest appearance-maker against Italy, scoring one of five tries, but insisted the number of caps he has won is not his main motivating factor - and that he has no plans to retire after the World Cup.

When asked if he plans to continue playing, Healy said: "Ideally so, yes. I'm all good. My body is holding up well. The odd Sunday I'd be sore but I'm holding up all right."

On the caps factor, Healy added: "It's a nice thing. I don't massively count caps. I've said before that I will look back at the end and rate my career on medals and silverware.

"It's nice to have been in for that long and to have had that many opportunities in green. I absolutely love pulling the jersey on, first cap, 100th cap or whatever, I've enjoyed every one of them.

"I very rarely reflect on it. I have a little wall in my house with medals on it and I pass it the odd time. I wouldn't have too much of a think about it but it is a nice thing to walk past."

Healy appreciates Farrell's 'trust' approach

Having won the Grand Slam in hugely impressive fashion in March, Ireland will travel to France as many people's favourites to be crowned world champions.

The squad have been together training since early June, but Farrell has granted them time off at various stages - and Healy has welcomed the trust the head coach has shown in his players.

"We've had it before where you do the six or eight-week block and people are dying to get out of camp for a couple of days or dying to go for a pint or something," Healy explained.

"You are living in a hotel and that is how life is, you are always on for the most part. It is chilled out in the evenings but you are still there for a reason.

"I think this has been managed really well in the sense that nobody feels over-loaded by time away, everyone has had the opportunity to get home, go away, go on holidays, get married and everything in the middle.

"I think there is a high level of trust there that we can just go off, do our work and have that week out of camp.

"The standard that we have in terms of players' fitness and strength coming back from holidays has been really high, so there is that level of trust that people know what they need to do to be in the shape to play this type of rugby."