High praise from the former England and Lions centre.
Will Greenwood has selected his Irish players in his Six Nations team of the tournament and reserved particular praise for three Irishmen.
Writing for The Telegraph, Greenwood picks six Irish players, four Welshmen, four Englishmen and Italy captain Sergio Parisse [at No.8].
Greenwood chooses “world-class” Johnny Sexton ahead of his own countryman, George Ford, and describes Ireland captain Paul O’Connell, who he picks beside Alun-Wyn Jones in the second row, as a global great.
However, it is blindside flanker Peter O’Mahony that he reserves the highest praise for. The Munster captain, he says, is quiet but extremely effective. He continues:
‘If all the wild horsemen of the apocalypse came around the corner O’Mahony would charge straight back at them.’
While Greenwood does leave Jared Payne and Robbie Henshaw out of his backline, he notes that their burgeoning centre partnership is looking “ominous” ahead of the World Cup.