It’s the work that often goes unnoticed that Peter O’Mahony usually deserves the most credit for.
Peter O’Mahony only played 55 minutes of Ireland’s bonus points win over Scotland in the Aviva on Saturday. Although he didn’t last the entirety of the game, he made a serious impact while he was on the field.
During that time, he was a defensive behemoth. He made 10 tackles in total, nine of which came in the first half. Perhaps his highlight was that sensational cover tackle on Stuart Hogg that forced a turnover.
The Munster man may have only made four runs for six metres, but he fought for every single inch and put his body on the line for the love of that green jersey.
But as we’ve already said, it’s what he did that went unnoticed that was really impressive. When the TV cameras weren’t on him, he showed his true colours.
BATTLE READY. #TV3Rugby #IREvSCO 👩💻https://t.co/ewJHdaRJFs pic.twitter.com/z5KnilT2D3
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 10, 2018
Just before the battle commenced, the Irish troops gathered in the Aviva Stadium to prepare for a huge game in the context of the competition. While nerves were being settled and the atmosphere was building, a leader stood up to prepare the soldiers for the task ahead of them.
His name was, well, you already know.
O’Mahony stood firm and gave a powerful speech to the entire squad. Although the words weren’t audible, the passion was very visible. The inspiration the players absorbed from it was palpable. They went out and they played with pride. The ever-important bonus point was secured and the Grand Slam remained on.
Bring on England.
