IT SURELY PAINED Peter O’Mahony to be limited to running the water as his Munster team battled with Leinster in Thomond Park two weekends ago.
With tempers flaring and Leinster dishing out several illegal shots, it looked like the kind of game in which O’Mahony would have been firmly at home.
He did offer a few words of advice to referee Frank Murphy, his competitive spirit clear even as he wore a bib.
O’Mahony is feeling fresh after his break. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
The Munster captain was rested for the weekend, as well as the one before when he missed his side’s defeat to Ulster in Belfast.
The IRFU’s player management programme is sometimes bemoaned, but O’Mahony looked wholly re-invigorated last Saturday as he made his return against Connacht in impressive fashion.
There were lineout steals, turnovers at the breakdown and his usual energy at the attacking ruck, as well as five carries and six tackles in his 64-minute outing.
There was even a try out in the 15-metre channel for the blindside flanker, who doesn’t tend to score too many of them.
“It’s rare enough, rare enough,” says O’Mahony with a smile. “Another 12 to 14 years again!”
But the 29-year-old felt the benefit of two weekends without a game, going as far as admitting to being “happyish” with his performance at the Sportsground.
With a huge Heineken Cup clash against Gloucester to come on Friday night in Kingsholm, O’Mahony is grateful to have had what he terms “a couple of booster weeks”.
“It’s no secret that we are well managed from the IRFU side of things,” says O’Mahony.
“The S&C [strength and conditioning] group and management were keen to get me a bit of a rest and to get a good clatter of gym stuff and a S&C booster week on top of a bit of a rest week as well.
The Cork man returned last weekend against Connacht. Source: James Crombie/INPHO
“Sometimes it’s hard when you’re a player, you obviously want to play rugby and certainly for me I get a benefit out of consistency in games and that kind of thing, but you trust the backroom guys and the S&C group here, how well looked after we are and their thought process of picking these weeks to get a bit of work done and stay fresh for what will, hopefully, be a long season.
“You’re playing big games consistently, so mentally you’re on a lot of the time. It’s a stressful enough environment and it’s nice to get a few days away and chill out and get some good work done as well.”