Quiet O’Mahony is ready to lead Lions roar
AUCKLAND: But for Jamie Heaslip succumbing to a hamstring strain just before Ireland’s Six Nations clash with England in March, there is a good chance Peter O’Mahony would not be on the British and Irish Lions tour at all.
Tomorrow, though, the blindside flank will not only line up in the back row for the first of three Tests against New Zealand, but lead the side out to face the All Blacks at Eden Park as captain.
O’Mahony has captained every side he has represented going back to his schooldays, but getting to the point where he could follow in the footsteps of fellow Munsterman Paul O’Connell marks a remarkable resurgence for the 27-year-old.
Injured in the same 2015 World Cup match against France that ended O’Connell’s career, O’Mahony’s had been restricted to one start in 18 months before Heaslip’s hamstring gave him his chance to face England in Dublin.
A rip-roaring Man-of-theMatch performance helped Ireland destroy England’s hopes of a grand slam and a world record winning streak with a 13-9 victory, and pushed O’Mahony into firm contention for a Lions spot.
Former England centre Will Greenwood was responsible for the most famous quote about O’Mahony when he said that faced with the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the flank would charge at them.
That fearlessness has typified his play on the tour of New Zealand, where he also skippered the side to an impressive 32-10 victory over the Maori All Blacks as tour captain Sam Warburton struggled to get back to top form after injury.
The sole first-time tourist in a back row of openside Sean O’Brien and number eight Taulupe Faletau, O’Mahony has quietly gone about his business in the parts of the rugby pitch where dark arts are traditionally practised.
“Peter has done a good job and he is chuffed about it. He’s lucky that he’s got a lot of experience around him,” Gatland said yesterday when announcing his team.
“It’s a reward for how the back row has gone.”
As befitting a man who leads by example rather than exhortation, O’Mahony spoke quickly of the honour of captaining the side before turning to the task of becoming the first team to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park in 23 years.
“Now it’s on to the job,” he told reporters. “It’s a huge task obviously given the calibre of player New Zealand have, their record at Eden Park is impressive.
“But it’s going to be a different animal at the weekend, there are going to be 20 000 odd Lions fans there.
“To be involved in a game of this magnitude is where all these players who have been picked want to be, challenging against the best in the world.”
Meanwhile, with an old head on young shoulders and an electrifying turn of pace, Rieko Ioane is more than ready to face the Lions tomorrow and coach Steve Hansen has no qualms about giving him the start in the first Test.
Ioane was a surprise pick for the All Blacks’ clash with the Lions at Eden Park, particularly since his inclusion at left wing meant there was no place for Julian Savea, the big Wellingtonian who has made the spot his own since 2012.
Savea has struggled in recent years in Super Rugby but always seemed to rise to the occasion on duty with the All Blacks, holding a remarkable strike rate of scoring 46 times in 53 Tests.
Ioane, who also beat Waisake Naholo for the spot, will be playing just his third Test when the world champions face the Lions in the opener of a pressure-cooker series.
Hansen had no doubt that the 20-year-old will handle the big occasion. “We think he is more than ready to do the job we want him to do, otherwise we wouldn’t have put him out there,” Hansen said. “He has been around us for a long time. You watch people and make assessments of them. ‘Are they weak under pressure or mentally tough under pressure?’
“At some point you have to make the decision ... and he’s just a young man who we have a lot of confidence in.
“I wouldn’t be panicking about it. I think he’ll go okay.”
Ioane, who made his Test debut off the bench last year against Italy before taking the field again as a substitute against France, has already played the Lions twice on their 10-match tour.
The first time for the Blues – where he showed his pace and finishing ability – and for the Maori All Blacks last Saturday in Rotorua.
Hansen said it was his performance against the Blues, where he made Jack Nowell’s life a misery, that had solidified their thinking.
“He’s got electrifying speed,” Hansen added. “We saw plenty in the Blues game that showed us that he can cause bother when he gets some space, he doesn’t need a lot because he’s good on his feet and he’s quick.
“But we had a look at what we’re after and then looked at the whole season and felt that Rieko was the guy who has been in best form throughout the year. He has to have something to go in ahead of two really, really good players.” – Reuters