“We all know what it means to play England and we don’t need any extra motivation.” – Peter O’Mahony (March 10, 2017)
O’Mahony’s face was screwed up and each solemn, honest word he spoke brought home the realisation that Ireland had just lost to Wales.
The Cork native had come off the bench in Cardiff and did every single thing he could to haul Ireland back into a fierce contest. He had delivered off the bench again and there were calls for him to come into the Irish back row for a mighty task against England.
There were even calls for him to captain the Lions.
Doesn’t seem like such a wild notion now, does it?
O’Mahony was a thundering, trampling, teeming delight against the English tonight. He was drafted in, on less than an hour’s notice, to start at blindside against a team chasing their second Grand Slam in a row. 19 wins too.
Not on O’Mahony’s turf. No effin’ way.
In the first half, O’Mahony laid down a vicious marker. He topped the tackle count, won a turnover, claimed lineouts, was party of a heaving scrum and also made the most carries.
He climbed into Englishmen and roared into English faces.
"6 green, 6 green… calm down"
Peter O'Mahony is PUMPED ta fuck!
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) March 18, 2017
This man was all set to take over from Paul O’Connell as Ireland captain after the World Cup. 14 minutes into the second half of Ireland’s World Cup win over France and that succession plan hit the skids.
By the time O’Mahony got his knee right and got back on the pitch, almost a year had passed. Rory Best was Ireland’s captain and O’Mahony found himself behind CJ Stander in the Ireland pecking order. He missed out on playing New Zealand twice.
He also lost his hero, Anthony Foley. This was the man O’Mahony idolised growing up. His words and deeds as Munster captain around the time of Foley’s passing marked him out as a man to admire; a man to follow.
When he got his chance against Canada, as captain, and Australia, unleashed off the bench, he make every moment count. His carries and clear-outs against the Wallabies forced an Ireland try.
Ireland needed him from the start this evening and he delivered like his life depended on it.
“If you can bring a bloke like O’Mahony off the bench, you’re doing okay,” England coach Eddie Jones said after Ireland’s 13-9 victory. “He’s a bloody good player.”
In the second half, O’Mahony was needed to soak tackles, drive England back, pitch in across the pitch and drive his teammates on. He finished on 13 tackles and 11 carries with each yard taking a mighty toll.
In the closing stages, he came up absolutely massive for his country. England had an attacking lineout just outside the Irish 22 after Niall Scannell had been penalised.
O’Mahony lept and got there before certain Lions forward Maro Itoje. He wrested the ball his way and the roar could be heard for miles around.
With Ireland looking to close the game out and run down the clock, they needed a lineout win to help. Scannell found O’Mahony and Ireland gobbled up the minutes.
His lineout strengths had been lauded all week.
They were crucial but O’Mahony’s devoted passion to the Irish cause was the clincher.
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