How a mentality shift led Ireland and O'Mahony to a turnaround 10 years in the making

A decade apart and history made at either end of the spectrum but the 32-year-old flanker heads off on this summer break with a new outlook...but focus too

Sat, 23 Jul, 2022 - 01:00

Simon Lewis

There may have been tears at the final whistle in Wellington last Saturday but the emotions Peter O’Mahony was experiencing were in stark contrast to those he felt a decade earlier on Ireland’s previous tour to New Zealand.

Ten years apart and history made at either end of the spectrum but as a 22-year-old completing his first season in Test rugby, a 60-0 drubbing by the All Blacks in Hamilton cast a dark shadow over O’Mahony’s 2012 close season.