Peter O'Mahony heaps praise on 'top man' Dan Leavy
Dan Leavy during a Leinster squad training session at Energia Park in February
Peter O’Mahony paid heartfelt tribute to former Ireland team-mate Dan Leavy following the Leinster back-rower’s announcement that he is to retire from the game with immediate effect.
The Munster captain was reacting to Tuesday morning’s statement from Leinster that Leavy, 27, had made his decision based on expert medical advice after battling a serious knee injury for the last three years.
O’Mahony and Leavy were the flankers in an Ireland back row alongside No.8 CJ Stander that helped secure the Six Nations Grand Slam under Joe Schmidt. Yet Leavy would only win 11 caps for his country, all of them Ireland wins, with the majority of the last three years spent in the Leinster treatment room following a horror injury in a breakdown against Ulster in a European quarter-final at Aviva Stadium. He had missed the entire 2019-20 season and returned to the Leinster line-up in October 2020 but would play just 16 more games for his province with his 79th and final appearance coming on March 20, off the bench against Ulster.
Speaking on a Munster media call to preview his own province’s Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 first leg trip to Exeter Chiefs this Saturday, O’Mahony was asked for his response to the news of Leavy’s enforced retirement.
“I certainly want to start off by saying I'm gutted to hear the news for him,” the Munster captain said.
“An incredible athlete, an incredible rugby player, but he's a top man which is more important. Playing alongside him, I was lucky enough to do it in the 2018 season when we won the Slam, and he was into everything, an incredibly pivotal role in that campaign and that team.
“He really kicked on into that group, that younger age group that's with Ireland, he really kicked on with them and was destined for great things. It's very tough for everyone playing rugby in Ireland, to hear that kind of news.
“An incredible rugby player that Leinster and Ireland have lost. It's sad news.”
O’Mahony suggested that injuries at breakdowns were an unfortunate by-product of one of the cornerstones of rugby union rather than being an unnecessarily dangerous part of the game.
“I don't see an issue there. Breakdowns are obviously a contentious issue, but they're the heartbeat of the game. From a rugby player's point of view, you'll be picked and dropped on your accuracy and urgency at the breakdown.
“You have to get there and get your job done, or your coach will have a problem with you. Guys are urgently trying to get there, to get people out of the way to get their team quick ball and that's what every player in the world is taught to do.
“Sometimes you have to take a shortcut and sometimes you have to find a way to sort it out. These things are unfortunate, these things happen in a game that has high-level contacts. It wouldn't be an issue from my point of view.”
Turning to Munster’s upcoming two-legged tie with the 2020 European champions and this Saturday’s trip to Sandy Park, O’Mahony said areas for improvement had been identified from last Saturday’s United Rugby Championship derby defeat at home to Leinster.
“We've touched on lots of things, a lot of fine margins. I don't think there's anything we need to change hugely, but it shows the level of performance you need to have against the very best teams in the URC and Europe. It's going to be no different this weekend. It was a good lesson for us to take our learnings and lead us into a big week.”
Exeter, O’Mahony added, were “a quality outfit”.
“I think their pack certainly is their go-to. You look at their team across the board, they have threats all over the place, their back three and (Henry) Slade in the centre, their half-backs are incredibly dynamic. Their pack - I've been watching them for a long time - is the cornerstone of their game. They've consistently been a well-rounded team.”
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