Scotland's Richie Gray braced for latest scrape with Peter O'Mahony

It’s been 15 years since O’Mahony and Gray shared a pitch in Perth together as teenagers and the Munster man made an instant impression on his opponent who has been equally fulsome in his praise of an abrasive, clever, athletic player.

OLD SPARRING PARTNER: Scotland's Richie Gray during a training session. Pic: David Davies/PA Wire

From the depths of time a warning. 

It was March of 2009 and a talented Ireland U20s side had squeaked a trio of wins out of their first three Six Nations games against France, Italy, and England. The fourth leg was a trip to McDiarmuid Park in Perth and a date with a Scottish side that had waxed and waned.