The Ireland captain had his place in the team openly questioned after the First Test defeat.
It was only natural that some Ireland fans would put Peter O’Mahony under intense scrutiny after the breakdown master-class from David Pocock and Michael Hooper in Brisbane, last week. Many pundits and fans suggested the Munster flanker would be dropped for the return match in Melbourne.
O’Mahony, in fact, had a good first half during that 18-9 defeat but he was not the only Irish player out-gunned by the deadly duo of Pocock and Hooper.
O’Mahony and Rob Kearney copped some heat in the aftermath of that game as some looked to the fresher faces/bodies in Joe Schmidt’s travelling squad. There are always easy, go-to guys that supporters and writers turn on when the going is not so good.
This is not the first time both of these experienced heads have taken fire and it surely won’t be the last but both have earned the right to have a second go of it. To prove they are still up there with the best.
There were suggestions that Tadhg Beirne – a turnover demon himself – would be brought back in for O’Mahony while Kearney had the likes of Carbery, Andrew Conway and Jordan Larmour suggested to yoink the No.15 jersey away.
Schmidt stuck with two of his core leaders. Kearney delivered a much improved performance. In a much-needed 26-21 Irish victory, O’Mahony was bloody amazing.
While most of us were fixed on Dan Leavy being pitched into the breakdown battle, O’Mahony looted and plundered.
As early as the 15th minute, O’Mahony was turning over Australian ball. The first penalty he won at the breakdown was fortuitous – his hands briefly hit the deck before latching onto the ball – but referee Paul Williams was happy with it and Ireland won the penalty.
O'Mahony gobbling up his first of THREE turnovers pic.twitter.com/nyNSNddzAC
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) June 16, 2018
The Cork native was penalised, not long after, from tackling Adam Coleman in the air but he was soon back in our good graces with another superb turnover. Pock, Hooper and Samu Kerevi all tried to shift him off the ball but no dice lads.
Pocock had not gone away, of course, and secured his second turnover inside his own 22 just after half-time. If anything, that just spurred O’Mahony on. He wasn’t finishing second best today. No fecking chance.
Ireland’s No.6 has been stealing lineouts all season, and seasons before that, and he rose highest to snatch another one just after the 50-minute mark. He was not finished there as, on 59 minutes, he made his third turnover at the breakdown.
O’Mahony was called ashore after 63 revved up, dialled-in minutes and the pats on the back from teammates as he made his way off were a testament to the shift he had just put in.
If we were singing from the rooftops about Pocock last week – and we were – then it is now turn to bang some pots and pans about Ireland’s inspirational captain.
Schmidt has spoken a lot about using this tour to look at players in different positions and determine whether they can survive in the Test match “furnace”. O’Mahony has operated in that furnace all his life – captaining Munster at the age of 21 – and he is still up there with the very best in the game.
Asked, post-match, if he was happy with his triple turnover return, O’Mahony replied:
“Yeah. A couple, yeah.”
Reporter: “You happy with that?”
“Yeah… happy enough.”
Dead-pan delivery at its’ best…
It is only right to say, now, that we were one of the outlets calling for O’Mahony to be rested, for Beirne, this weekend.
O’Mahony proved us wrong and he proved many others wrong.
He’ll still have his doubters in the future but he has just laid it all on the line for his country and got the better of Australia’s two outstanding flankers.
