PETER O’MAHONY DOESN’T buy into the idea that Ireland’s hammering against England was a timely reminder that they need to step things up as the World Cup looms.
He doesn’t agree with that sentiment. Not at all.
While some outside the Ireland group have reconciled the shock of an eight-try thrashing at the hands of Eddie Jones’ side by suggesting that it’s better this happened now in August rather than at the World Cup in Japan, O’Mahony says it was simply unacceptable.
“These are Test matches,” says the Munster man, who is set to captain Ireland from the openside against Wales this weekend as they look to respond.
“You hear people saying ‘oh, maybe it’s a good thing’. It’s not a good thing to lose a game like that. We’re not going to bullshit ourselves by saying ‘that might be the best thing for us’. That’s not the best thing for us.
“Yeah, it wasn’t a World Cup game, we’ve time, we can sort it. It is certainly better that it happened now but that’s kind of a bullshit saying as well – we’re not going around trying to claim it.”
What about suggestions that Ireland were fatigued after a heavy training camp in Portugal leading up to the England clash?
“No, I don’t think so. Again, it’s not an excuse for a Test match. It’s just not.”
O’Mahony’s refusal to make excuses will likely sit well with some Ireland supporters, but actions would speak much, much louder than words in this case.
The Cork man himself is among those under pressure to respond to events in London with a strong performance, albeit he is set to switch to the other side of the scrum in a rejigged Ireland team featuring widespread changes.
O’Mahony will have been among the senior figures in the Ireland camp setting the tone again this week, and he explains that Schmidt’s men have been calm in the wake of what was an alarming result for fans.
“I think we have a good enough coaching group and a good enough experienced player group that you need to have a good look at it and have a good look at the reasons why,” says O’Mahony.
“There certainly isn’t any panic of any sort. Guys understand the points of the game that we got wrong at the weekend and we understand that it doesn’t turn on its head overnight.
“There are things that have probably manifested that we need to sort out in our game. That’s a good starting point to get it sorted.
“I’m not going to go discussing them here but they are things that we’ve spoken about that are important to us and our game and that we will sort.”
O’Mahony says the squad have had “a harsh reality check” in their video analysis sessions this week, as they reviewed their shortcomings.
Now, it’s time to convince themselves and supporters that the dire day in Twickenham was indeed an aberration.
“It’s not something that we are used to,” said O’Mahony. “We know that you take the 24 hours and you feel sorry for yourself, but the beauty of this game is that you have another one this weekend.
“Whoever gets selected this weekend has a huge, huge responsibility to put the green jersey back in a good place.”
