Peter O’Mahony wasn’t letting that comment hang out there unchallenged.
The Munster captain has now had to face the media three tough times in the past six months.
O’Mahony has fronted up each time, after losing to Saracens [Champions Cup semi], Scarlets [PRO12 final] and Leinster this afternoon. He always backs his teammates and knows what they are capable of.
Back in May, after Scarlets ran out as PRO12 champions, we questioned if Munster ran out of fight in the final minutes. O’Mahony bristled at the notion and responded:
“No, I wouldn’t accept that at all… When you’re firing balls out the back like that, you’re going to concede tries because, you know, that’s not the way we train. Any team that’s chasing a lead is open to a couple of intercepts or getting a pass behind you, getting caught behind the gainline and you’re in trouble then.
“So I wouldn’t accept that for one second, that there wasn’t effort or there weren’t trying out there.”
O’Mahony and Munster were back at the Aviva for their Guinness PRO14 clash with Leinster and were, once again, on the losing side. The blindside first spoke with Sky Sports after a fiercely contested match, which Leinster shaded 23-17.
He then spoke with former Leinster captain Reggie Corrigan on TG4. After talking about missed chances, and after he gave Leinster their dues, Corrigan questioned whether there was enough intensity from Munster in the game. He responded:
“What do you mean? Are you questioning my teammates?”
Asked if he felt his Munster teammates were ‘giving it 100%’, he replied:
O’Mahony: “100%. What… ?”
Corrigan: “I’m not trying to catch you out or anything Peter. I’m just wondering whether you genuinely felt if they left something in the dressing or if they could have given a little bit more?
O’Mahony: “No. 100% not.”
With that, O’Mahony stalked off.
Interview over.
Compelling stuff.
"What do you mean, are you questioning my team-mates?"
Thoughts on @peterom6 's reaction, @TheLooseH ??
Do mheas air seo??#LEIvMUN pic.twitter.com/JCSuPfcSwp
— Stiofán Ó Fearail (@stiofanofearail) October 7, 2017
In the post-match press briefing, O’Mahony told SportsJOE that, as a proud Munster- and Irish-man, the intensity question most definitely annoyed him.
