Lions captain Peter O’Mahony.
Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
As much as Irish rugby fans are proudly revelling in the Munster man being made captain for the First Test against New Zealand, O’Mahony will be well aware that this is far from a permanent gig. The Lions will have to win or go mighty close to it to prevent any changes for the next Test in Wellington.
Warren Gatland has decided to leave his tour captain, Sam Warburton, on the bench and chose O’Mahony over Alun Wyn Jones, who led the Lions to that series-clinching win over Australia in 2013. That is how good the Cork native has been. That has been his impact in just under four weeks.
Ahead of the First Test at Eden Park, former Ireland teammates Kevin McLaughlin and Isaac Boss shared some great stories on The Hard Yards [from 4:30] about O’Mahony the man, and leader, but it took Stephen Ferris to drive home just how special he truly is.
https://soundcloud.com/thehardyardssportsjoe/episode-21-captain-peter-omahony-gatlands-surprises-and-rassies-future-with-munster
Ferris was voted the greatest Ireland blindside of the professional era before the 2015 World Cup so his words on O’Mahony, who starts at blindside, really hit home. It definitely holds more weight than some Kiwi pundits and columnists that have dismissed him as fortunate, called him ‘British’, and as a poor communicator with match officials.
Speaking from Auckland, Ferris said:
“It’s funny, the reaction over here, because Pete came into the Irish squad when Jamie Heaslip picked up an injury. He got a man-of-the-match performance. Then everybody was talking about him. Then hegot onto a Lions tour and now he is captain.
“Some of the Kiwi press over here think that he’s got lucky, because of the way things have fallen, but, for me, you make your own luck.
“Pete had to go out and perform in that game against England and he did that. He was absolutely phenomenal and he threw his name into the hat to be selected.”
PETER O'MAHONY SHOULD NEVER NOT START A MATCH AGAIN #ireveng
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 18, 2017
Ferris continued:
“The way he’s went about it – he’s not the type of guy who goes onto social media or goes into press conferences and says this, that and the other – he just goes about his business and he’s a really, really well respected guy.
“And when you have someone who is so respected, it goes a long way. He’s not only a good leader, he’s a good player and a good man.”
The former Ulster and Ireland flanker had a class comparison between O’Mahony and another Munster, and Lions, legend.
“He’s just a hard man who is a bloody nightmare to play again. He’s very passionate – just look at with the Lions whenever there is a turnover, he’s rushing over, grabbing boys and slapping backs.
“There is only one person that I know that hates losing more that Peter O’Mahony, and that was Paul O’Connell! They are both cut from the same cloth.”
“On Saturday,” Ferris concluded, “He’s going to stand up and say, ‘I’m leading the Lions. I’ve got to lead by example on the pitch and here we go!’
“He’s definitely got the ability to do it.”
O’Mahony is as Munster as they come, as Irish and as Cork as they come.
We’re happy to loan him out for a while but we want him back.
