Peter O’Mahony joins up with Ireland after comeback against All Blacks XV

“Pete has joined us now after the match yesterday and he's watched footage with everybody this morning, so it's good to have him around," said Ireland attack coach Andrew Goodman.

HIGH AND MIGHTY: Munster's Peter O'Mahony wins a lineout. Pic: INPHO/Ken Sutton

Peter O’Mahony wasted no time in joining the Ireland camp in Portugal on Sunday morning after completing a 40-minute comeback from a hamstring injury for Munster the previous night.

The Six Nations-winning captain played the first half of Munster’s match against the All Blacks XV at Thomond Park in Limerick on Saturday night to prove his fitness for Ireland’s upcoming Autumn Nations Series, which begins this Friday against New Zealand at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

The 35-year-old flanker put in an impressive performance in his first game back since sustaining the injury against Ospreys on October 5 and was only scheduled to play the first half of the sell-out tour match, which Munster lost 38-24.

O’Mahony raced off the field at the half-time whistle and was back at full-time to shake hands with the Kiwis, chatting to All Blacks-capped scrum-half Finlay Christie as the teams mingled on the field. Yet by the time Ireland attack coach Andrew Goodman was talking to media from the warm-weather training camp on the Algarve at noon Irish time on Sunday, O’Mahony had already arrived and had taken part in a video review session.

"We're all in good health and training away,” Goodman said. “Pete has joined us now after the match yesterday and he's watched footage with everybody this morning, so it's good to have him around.

"He was over this morning nice and early and joined the team, which is great.” 

Goodman and the rest of the Ireland camp watched both the England-New Zealand Test match from Twickenham and Munster-All Blacks XV games from the team hotel at Quinta do Lago and the attack coach said he was impressed by O’Mahony’s performance.

“Yeah, it was great to see Pete out there. We had both games on here at the hotel and there was keen interest in both the matches.

“Pete’s been out for a while now so for him to get through the 40 and get around like he did, provide energy and have some good effects on the game, as I said, good to have him over here this morning and adding to the group.” 

Asked if he felt O’Mahony was ready to be thrown straight back into Test rugby for Ireland this Friday, Goodman said: “He’s a pretty experienced man. I’m sure if he gets called upon he’ll be ready to go.” 

The former Leinster backs coach, a Kiwi himself, was also impressed by the performance of Scott Robertson’s All Blacks in claiming a 24-22 victory over the English on Saturday afternoon, a win secured thanks to a late missed George Ford drop goal attempt.

“That was some Test match, eh?” Goodman said. “Fine margins and I think (the All Blacks) showed how dangerous they can be from turnover, counter-attack rugby, some of the tries they scored there, opportunities they created.

“So obviously a lot around kicking, the battles in the air, the contests in the air, it was pretty prevalent around the contest and not being able to get the escorts in place there. So there was lots of transition ball which New Zealand love to attack off.” 

Goodman saw both Beauden Barrett, who started at fly-half for New Zealand, and hooker Codie Taylor removed for Head Injury Assessments during the game but was not aware the pair had being ruled out of this Friday’s Dublin rematch of the 2023 World Cup quarter-final.

“They’ve got some good cover there, obviously with (Damian) McKenzie, who’s been playing 10 for them most of the season and then Will Jordan at full-back. And (replacement hooker) Asafo Aumua coming in and played some pretty big minutes there and is a powerful runner, we know what he can do.

“So they’ve got great depth in all positions there so I’m sure they’ll back those guys to do a job.”