“As a back-rower, I know that when you see an opposition shirt and you want to completely smash it.”
Chris Henry and Peter O’Mahony enjoyed many a breakdown battle against each other – for Ulster and Munster – and in the green jersey of Ireland. As he watched O’Mahony get his marching orders against Wales, he could see how it all went wrong.
O’Mahony was sent off, by referee Wayne Barnes, with only 13 minutes played of Ireland’s eventual 21-16 loss to Wales in their Six Nations opener. Ireland battled valiantly but fell short after Wales made their extra player count in the second half.
Following the game, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell spoke about the 74-times capped back-row.
“He’s gutted as well. Guys don’t do this on purpose, to get sent off and hamper the performance of the team. They care about the team and their team-mates deeply so obviously Pete is hurting at this moment in time. He’s done a lot of good things for us in the past and I’m sure he’ll do the same for us in the future.”
On the latest House of Rugby Ireland episode [LISTEN from 1:30 below], Henry explained to host Eimear Considine and Fergus McFadden what would have been going through O’Mahony’s mind before his clear-out attempt connected with the head of Tomas Francis.
Peter O’Mahony walks off after receiving a red card from Wayne Barnes. (Credit: Sportsfile)Having been one of Ireland’s best players when international rugby returned, last autumn, it was a hammer blow for Andy Farrell’s side to lose such an experienced and combative specimen as O’Mahony.
“A really disappointing way for one of your key players, obviously, in Peter O’Mahony,” said Henry, “who has brought so much positivity to Irish rugby with some really big moments.
“That was such a disappointing start for him. A moment of… not madness but, as a back-rower, I know that when you see an opposition shirt and you want to completely smash it and, unfortunately for him, the elbow caught the face and there was no other decision to be made, apart from the red card.”
Henry agreed with McFadden that there was ‘no malice’ in the O’Mahony clear-out but he did explain what would have been going through the Munster captain’s mind.
“Pete would have been going into that game so hyped up and, like I said, you see that opposition shirt and you want to just smash it and take someone’s head off. And unfortunately it went against him.”
That Peter O'Mahony red card gets worse on repeat viewing pic.twitter.com/dk9Vn866kk
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) February 7, 2021
For McFadden, the arrival of Paul O’Connell into the Ireland camp, as forwards coach, may have sparked an increased focus on Ireland improving around the breakdown and upping tempo around rucks.
“It was a very difficult one when it happens, because it happens so fast,” McFadden began, “and you can guarantee that with Paul O’Connell coming into the camp, he was driving [that].
“As Paul had learned an awful lot, under Joe Schmidt, about cleaning past the ball. And it looked like the ruck, all day, was the best it looked in a long time.
“Pete, obviously, was looking to just smash that guy that was on top of the ball. And, unfortunately, his head was just so low. I definitely think there was no intention behind it and hope he doesn’t pick up any sort of a ban, because the red card was probably enough, and unfortunate to pick it up at that early stage.”
The citing commissioner will certainly be bringing the Cork native’s forceful clear-out up for further review and the likelihood is that there will be an additional punishment meted out in the coming days.
CATCH THAT FULL EPISODE HERE:
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