“You p*****!”
Blair Cowan could not have had it more wrong about Peter O’Mahony. As bodies heaved and thumped against each other, the insults were flung out. O’Mahony emerged with the ball and stared down the Scottish flanker. He was in his element.
The Munster captain and Caelan Doris have been Ireland’s two best players of these autumn and winter games, and so it proved again as they weathered a first half storm before wringing Scottish necks.
Andy Farrell will be hoping Dan Leavy can come back into the mix, in 2021, but he has settled on a back row that will cause most sides problems. CJ Stander has been quiet these past few games but O’Mahony and Doris have stepped it up.
Against Scotland, in Ireland’s 31-16 Autumn Nations Cup win, Doris raised both arms aloft and added to his Lions case yet again. He made strong carries all day and dragged a heap of navy shirts with him. He beat four defenders on his 13 carries and made two line breaks that almost led to tries, were it not for last-gasp tackles.
After the disappointment of losing to England at Twickenham, Ian Madigan spoke highly of Doris as one Irish player to emerge with credit. On House of Rugby Ireland, Madigan commented:
“He’s someone that every time he carries the ball, he seems to find an extra three, four, five yards and engages contact, which creates quick ball, go-forward ball for the backs for the forwards that are carrying again. He’s someone who, if he can keep building on the early form he’s shown this season, there’s no reason why he can’t put his hand up for Lions selection.”
Doris missed out on the fun against Georgia but made up for that weekend off by tearing into Scotland, right from the off. His ability to absorb the first tackle and keep pumping his legs, and eeking out those extra few yards, was commendable. It caused Scottish headaches all afternoon.
And then we turn to O’Mahony. The man is ageing like a fine wine. Rather than waxing too lyrical about him (although we will do below), we feel this Scottish fan summed it up perfectly.
I wish we had a player like Peter O’Mahony.
A proper bastard. A horrible, nasty, proper bastard.— Pen (@thepenGW) December 5, 2020
A bastard. A proper bastard. Peter O’Mahony in a nutshell.
Whether it was escorting Ali Price to his seat, on on carry, thwacking Stuart Hogg off the pitch after a knock-on or scrapping like a Tasmanian devil on the ground, under a clatter of bodies, for a loose ball, this was O’Mahony at his dogged best.
It was not all perfect – there was too much on a grubber kick and a late penalty conceded – but it was not far off. He brought that physicality and bite that his team needed and was a nuisance around the breakdown.
Such was the force that he drove Cian Healy over the line for his try that he should have been given an assist for the action. No bother, his lovely pass out on the left wing did provide him with an assist when Keith Earls crossed over for his second try.
He stepped up with a big breakdown turnover before going off for a Head Injury Assessment. Ireland missed his presence when he was off ticking those HIA boxes and were grateful for his impact when he returned.
There was almost a late try, too, but he was adjudged to have a fraction of a boot in touch. He was not having it, but neither was the referee.
There would be no cherry on top, but the cake would do.
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Season 3 has returned with Ian Madigan & Eimear Considine as hosts, and has already featured interviews with Brian O’Driscoll, Nigel Owens, Sean Cronin, Shane Williams, Mike Brown, CJ Stander, Ugo Monye, Sene Naoupu and Dan Leo.
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