Peter O’Mahony crashes interview with Graham Rowntree and pulls out killer line

Patrick McCarry

“We stuck at it, and it means the world.”

Munster are the 2022/23 United Rugby Championship winners and there is going to be one hell of a party in Cape Town, with Peter O’Mahony and Graham Rowntree both in the mix.

Munster trailed Stormers 14-12 until the closing stages of the final, at DHL Stadium, but a John Hodnett try in the left-hand corner sealed their first trophy in 12 years.

Rowntree, who has claimed silverware in his first season as Munster head coach, was conducting an interview with Ross Harries and former Munster players CJ Stander and Jean De Villiers when O’Mahony arrived on the scene.

Handed a microphone, he was asked by Stander who was going to have to look out for who on ‘the big night out’, O’Mahony dead-panned:

“We’ll both have our hands full, there!”

“We had a couple of huge tests, on the road,” O’Mahony told Stander, “and they stood to us, massively, over the past 80 minutes. It certainly wasn’t a handy road to the final for us, by any stretch. I can’t remember the last time we played at home.

“It stood to us, though, especially in that last 20 minutes. Unbelievable balls to go down there and that skill-set – the pitch was poor and the ball was greasy but they scored an unbelievable try, there, at the end, to win the game. Delighted with them.”

De Villiers, who played with both O’Mahony and Keith Earls during his season-long stint with the province, spoke about the older generation of players finally adding to their silverware haul at Munster.

“I said it there, I didn’t think it was going to happen there for a few of us,” O’Mahony admitted. “We’ve been a long time at it. We’ve had a long road. Our supporters have been incredible to us. Our families have stayed with us. You know, they get the brunt of it when we go home and we’ve lost again, but we stuck at it and it means the world. I have to say, to win some silverware with Munster is massive for the whole group.”

Asked by De Villiers if there would be ‘any sleep tonight’, O’Mahony remarked:

“I don’t know, to be honest with you. Wig?”

“I don’t think so,” Rowntree replied. When host Ross Harries joked that O’Mahony had asked for permission to cut loose, Rowntree cut in, “He did not! He’s never done that before!”

"It's hard to believe!" 🗣️ @Munsterrugby's Graham Rowntree gives lengthy pitchside interview after his side's URC title win 🔴

Peter O'Mahony also joins his head coach for a conversation 👋#URC | #STOvMUN pic.twitter.com/XpQb2KUavH

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) May 27, 2023

Peter O’Mahony praises teammates’ “unbelievable balls”

In another great post-match chat, this time with TG4, O’Mahony paid tribute to the young Munster players that helped seal the win in the second half. He also confirmed he was ‘in one piece’ after he left the game with a neck and head injury.

“I’m all right, I’m still in one piece,” he told his old Munster teammate, Marcus Horan. “I got it in the back of the neck, after about 10 minutes. But I’ll be all right, I’ll battle on!

“I can’t really believe it, to be honest with you. I’ve been a long time waiting for it and… yeah, I can’t believe it. Happy days.”

“We’ve been on the road a lot. I think it stood to us. We worked hard. We’ve ground out serious, serious victories, and that Sharks game when we went behind and drew. I think that stood to us today. Unbelievable balls from us in the second half to put in that performance.”

#STOvMUN @THESTORMERS – 14@Munsterrugby – 19

Captaen na Mumhan, Peter O'Mahony

A delighted Munster Captain Peter O'Mahony@IrishRugby @URCOfficial #BKTURC #Rugby pic.twitter.com/hQcbvUog9N

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) May 27, 2023