Whereas Andy Farrell, Johnny Sexton and the other players rolled out for the media had to wade through a packed and cramped room in the Irish squad’s new base on the outer extremes of Paris, Peter O’Mahony slipped in unobtrusively from a back door adjoining the room to the onsite golf course.
It seemed apt, for ideally O’Mahony would always prefer to take the tradesman’s entrance rather than being announced with fanfare at the front door. But in the week where he will become just the 10th Irishman to play 100 Tests for his country, there isn’t much chance of that even if he’d prefer that to be the case.
“Oh, I would love to be inside there having a cup of tea with the lads. This would be the last place I would sit in front of to be honest with you,” he said, although at least he was grinning broadly. “I’ve got some texts already and I’m hugely grateful for everyone’s best wishes and that. I want a win for the lads at the weekend, that’s the main thing.”
Nobody seems more surprised than O’Mahony himself that he has reached this milestone. Certainly, there were times when it seemed fanciful in the extreme, not least the year and a half after his horrific knee injury in the 2015 Rugby World Cup pool finale. Even as recently as two seasons ago O’Mahony had become more of a replacement, before re-establishing himself when starting all three Tests in New Zealand last year.
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“I’m still kind of surprised, no matter what year it would have been,” he admitted, even managing to look slightly incredulous. “There’s 10 people who have got 100 caps for Ireland and it’s almost a little bit embarrassing with the names that are ahead of me to be honest, people I grew up following and supporting, hugely inspirational characters.
“To be the 10th, it’s going to take some time to settle in. It’s nothing I ever expected or dreamed of. We all talk about having dreams but that one was way off the radar to be honest.”
Still, his family will all be in Paris for the match, and this week will afford him some time for reflection on his journey to this date and the people who have helped along the way.
“There’s probably too many to mention. Obviously starting as a young fella in Con, my auld fella (John) bringing me up and down to training, the coaching and the advice I got there. On to school then in Pres and then back to Con and then into Munster from there. I’ve been lucky with the people I’ve come across in close quarters who have kind of mentored me from a young age and given me the love for the game which is still very much evident today.”
O’Mahony said he is endeavouring to prepare for this as he would for any of the previous 99, and “hopefully get all this stuff out of the way as early as possible”.
“It’s certain I’ll have a sit down and think the odd time I’m sitting on my own having a coffee and have a quick think about it. I’m hoping there are going to be bigger moments in my career than this one, and hopefully in the near future. My firm focus will be on Saturday and my performance in the game.”
No one doubts it, and sometimes, as he inadvertently cultivates that scowling image – the ‘Haggard Badger’ being his new nickname according to Iain Henderson – O’Mahony’s short answers are the best.
Any danger of Ireland looking beyond this match toward the quarter-final? “There’s never a danger of that.” End of.
O’Mahony also admits he thinks of Anthony Foley in weeks like this, in the city where he passed away, and that he and Johnny Sexton had talked about Axel en route to the South African game.
Now 34, like Foley, one of his biggest mentors, O’Mahony also admitted he has learned to manage his body over the years.
“Some of the extras you’d see the guys doing afterwards and pre-training, I just can’t physically do them. I just need to use the sessions as diligently as I can to get as much fitness, ball-play, whatever I need to do I need to get that in-session, really, because I’m obviously pushing on a bit. You just need to manage the body a bit more, and the main thing for me is the Saturday. It’s about getting yourself prepared and ready for Test matches on the weekend.”
Mostly, though, he attributes this rich autumn resurgence in his career to the environment generated by the players and coaches.
“The standard of training that we’re at during the week is of a level that you can’t but learn and get better. Our coaches are opening our eyes up to our potential at times; not that you’d put a ceiling on yourself but it’s stuff that you mightn’t have had on your radar that’s possible.
“This group of players particularly never ceases to amaze me, the quality of rugby that they can play and when you’re around it as much as I’ve been lucky enough to be around it. Without doing much we’re picking up stuff and we’re about doing a lot so it’s easy to get some good tips.”
Yet above all else, as he said himself, O’Mahony wants to have bigger days than this one ahead, and in the close future, for World Cups have offered Ireland ultimately disappointment.
“Yeah, look” he said, as he usually begins sentences, “it’s our be-all and end-all and I’m not going to say that lightly. It’s the same for every team in this competition. Every team that makes this competition is in this country to win it and we’re no different and certainly – I’ve spoken about it already – people talking about us not being able to get past certain hurdles, this is the biggest match of our tournament so far and that’s the way we’re considering it.
“We’ve had an incredible build-up and lead-in and we’ve had some good performances but we’re considering Scotland as the team they are – an incredible threat to our campaign and our journey, which we want to kick on in.”
The journey, he sincerely hopes, has some way to go yet.
