The captain is back. The enforcer is back. The protector is back.
Peter O'Mahony was one of three returning British & Irish Lions in the Munster XV as they disposed of Cardiff at Thomond Park.
The Munster captain played his first game since he lead the Lions out at Eden Park in the First Test against New Zealand, in June. Sam Warburton came back in for the final two Tests but the honour of leading the vaunted side in the toughest of rugby arenas.
In his 74 minutes on the pitch, O'Mahony won a couple of turnovers, landed three tackles and made 10 metres off five carries. He was busy at the breakdown, as per usual, but Cardiff tested Munster sternly for the opening hour.
With the score at 20-16 to the hosts, O'Mahony took offence to Cardiff hooker Matthew Rees scrapping for the ball in a garishly offside position. The flanker cleared Rees out but the hooker was not taking that without a tizzy.
Rees was a Lion in 2009 but O'Mahony was doling out no respect, or ground on his home turf.
One wonders if the veteran dropped Warburton's name as they faced off amid a flurry of bodies.
https://twitter.com/patmccarry/status/914125963482542080
Good to see the Cork native getting right back into it on his return to the red jersey he cherishes over all others.
O'Mahony wading into bodies and gripping collars. Wonder when we saw that last...
https://twitter.com/patmccarry/status/873459200822849536
Some boy, is O'Mahony.
Watch this space! An Irish rugby player from Cashel in Tipperary is being sought-after by a host of College football teams, despite never playing the game and having previously never even watched a full match. Oluwanifemi ‘Neff’ Giwa, who was born in Ireland and raised by Nigerian parents, has major interest from colleges in the […]
Another big weekend! Your ultimate Ireland TV guide to all of the weekend’s big sporting action is back. We have some huge GAA for you as the Allianz leagues come to an end, and there’s some big clashes across League of Ireland, the Premier League and Scottish Prem. Plus the small matter of a Carabao […]
He is one of the province’s best talents. Leinster’s Alan Spicer has appeared in court charged with assaulting a woman at Copper Faced Jacks nightclub in Dublin. The incident is alleged to have occurred on March 1st of this year. The 21-year-old was arrested at 4.05am that day, and is currently on station bail. He […]