A week after taking one hell of a fight to England at the Aviva Stadium, Peter O’Mahony was back at it for Munster.
The Munster captain started in the 50-14 victory away to Zebre and the result helps Rassie Earsmus’ men keep pace with Guinness PRO12 leaders Leinster. After his lineout heroics in Dublin last Saturday, O’Mahony was untouchable at the Munster set-piece.
Former Munster and Ireland teammate Ronan O’Gara believes O’Mahony is on the brink of making the British & Irish Lions touring squad next month.
On The Hard Yards rugby podcast, O’Gara pointed out what he feels O’Mahony needs to do to make Warren Gatland’s initial squad when it is announced on April 19 in London [Lions chat starts from 31:00 below].
https://soundcloud.com/thehardyardssportsjoe/episode-8-six-nations-winners-and-losers-irish-lions-and-dirtiest-opponents
O’Gara has talked O’Mahony up in the past but, just as we were all getting carried away with his man of the match performance against England, he brought us back to earth. He believes the hyperbolic reaction to O’Mahony’s form is “typical” of the media. He said:
“We hadn’t seen him the whole championship. He had a very good game but I think he poached one [English lineout] ball in the air, which he is expected to.”
While praising O’Mahony’s athleticism and power, O’Gara acknowledged that ‘his fitness is an area he needs to get better at’. He continued:
“He does tire, but that will get better by putting minutes behind him. He hasn’t had a run. I think I heard Joe Schmidt talking about him and that [England] game was the first time he got 80 minutes since before the France game [in October 2015] when he got injured. That’s a long time ago.
“There’s a challenge in that, in terms of bringing people on tour and people who are durable.
“He was an outsider before last weekend and now, all of a sudden, he has shot to prominence. But if you’re being realistic and analysing it, he’s there or thereabouts.
“The key game for him will be at Thomond Park against Toulouse. If he comes up with another man of the match performance – and timing is everything – he’s going to be, at least, on the plane.”
This coming Saturday, April 1, four-time European champions Toulouse arrive in Limerick to try end Munster’s Champions Cup hopes.
Right now, you can’t see beyond a Munster victory and you can’t see beyond O’Mahony making that Lions tour to New Zealand.
