In January 2016, Best was named as the new Ireland captain for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. On 26 November 2016, Best became Ireland's fifth centurion, gaining his 100th cap in a test match vs Australia in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. The previous week, Best captained Ireland to a historic 40–29 win over New Zealand in his 99th appearance, Ireland's first ever win over New Zealand.