Graham Rowntree: Decision on Peter O’Mahony’s future 'imminent'

O'Mahony previously said he would discuss his options with his family during his week off following the final round of the Six Nations.

FUTURE UNCLEAR: Munster's Peter O'Mahony during the warm-up. Pic: Ben Brady, Inpho

Graham Rowntree is optimistic RG Snyman, Calvin Nash and Conor Murray will all be fit for Munster’s Champions Cup Round of 16 trip to Northampton Saints this Sunday and also expects to learn of a decision on Peter O’Mahony’s future in the coming days.

The Munster head coach praised the Ireland captain’s return from Six Nations duty to provincial colours on Saturday night as the URC champions survived the late withdrawal of Snyman due to sickness to eke out a 20-15 league win at Thomond Park.

O’Mahony lifted the Six Nations trophy on March 16 as Ireland secured back-to-back titles with a victory over Scotland in Dublin and afterwards the 34-year-old said he would consider his playing future with both Munster and the national team in the days that followed. 

The Test centurion’s central contract with the IRFU is up this summer and negotiations over a renewal with his province are understood to have been protracted but the flanker said he would discuss his options with his family during his week off following the final round of the championship.

There was no outward sign of any decision playing on O’Mahony’s mind in Limerick on Saturday as the former Munster captain led by example in a hard-fought URC victory, the back-rower in aggressive form against a feisty Cardiff pack, and Rowntree said: “Pete was great tonight. He had a big performance, he spoke really well without being the team captain, spoke really well and it was a real, battling performance from Pete tonight.” 

As to O’Mahony relaying any decision to the Munster management, his head coach added: “I’ve opened up this door now, haven’t I. Imminent I think. There’ll be news on that imminently.” 

The potential returns of Test players Snyman, Nash and Murray for Munster’s trip to the English Premiership leaders will bring vital big-game experience to bear in Northampton this Sunday and for what Rowntree described as a “pivotal game for us”.

“It’s a knockout game in Europe, it sits in its own context. It’s a huge game and we’ve been through a few of those. So we’ll see.

“My job now is to regroup this team, the squad to see what guys are available. RG pulled out today with a sickness, I think he’ll be all right. Jack O’Donoghue with his knee, Calvin Nash got a bit of a leg knock.” 

As to whether they were concerns for this weekend, Rowntree added: “No. Jack, maybe but certainly RG and Calvin are definitely in the mix but this kind of stuff, I’ll wait until Tuesday morning. 

"We’re off Monday, we’ve got a long week and day one will be Tuesday morning so I’ll get the injury reports then.” 

As for scrum-half Murray, who was not in last Saturday’s matchday squad, the Munster boss said: “He had an organised and pre-planned minor medical procedure at the end of the week which we knew about and he’ll be available next week.

“It was booked for that time but it’s not a long-term concern, Conor will be available next week.”