PETER O’MAHONY BRISTLED at the suggestion that a lack of intensity from his team-mates cost Munster in their Pro14 derby defeat against Leinster.
A late Keith Earls try gave Munster a losing bonus point as it finished 23-17 in the hosts’ favour at the Aviva Stadium.
But that tight margin slightly flattered Munster who were second-best for large parts of the contest.
On TG4 afterwards, Reggie Corrigan asked O’Mahony if his side could have brought more to the battle, a suggestion which the Munster skipper batted away in no uncertain terms.
Is léir nach raibh Peter O'Mahony sásta le cuid de ceisteanna Reggie Corrigan inniu #LEIvMUN @PRO14Official ar @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/hZsZ1ec0cj
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) October 7, 2017
Here’s the full exchange:
RC: “What do you think about the intensity from your team-mates out there? Was there enough in the game?”
POM: (pause)
RC: “Did they give enough, do you think?”
POM: “What do you mean? You’re questioning my team-mates?”
RC: “No, I’m asking about the intensity that came from the team. Did you feel that they were giving it as much as they could possibly give out there?”
POM: (baffled) “Yeah, 100%.”
RC: “I’m not trying to catch you out here, Peter. I’m just genuinely asking the question if you felt that they maybe left something in the dressing room, that there could have been more than they could have given?”
POM: “No, 100% not.”
RC: “Thanks Peter, appreciate it.”
Speaking to reporters afterwards, O’Mahony took the opportunity to expand on his annoyance, saying he took ‘huge offence’ to the implication that Munster’s work-rate was lacking.
“I think it’s a silly question,” he said. “Essentially he’s calling myself and my team-mates out, saying we’re not trying hard enough or are we working hard enough or do we want it enough.
“I’m a very proud Munster man, I’m a very proud Irish man, and that’s questioning the core of everything we do at Munster and Irish rugby. Everything is based around work-rate and your want to win, how relentless you can be.
“For someone to question that, I take huge offence to it.”
Subscribe to The42 podcasts here:
