O'Mahony looking forward to 'spicy' derby with Ulster

DERBY: Peter O’Mahony is looking forward to a “spicy” derby when he returns from injury for Munster’s must-win URC derby with Ulster at Thomond Park on Friday. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Peter O’Mahony is looking forward to a “spicy” derby when he returns from injury for Munster’s must-win URC derby with Ulster at Thomond Park on Friday.

The veteran flanker is set to play his final game at the Limerick stadium before retiring at the end of the season having recovered from the tight hamstring which forced him out of his province’s last two league games.

Those games, following on from a Champions Cup quarter-final exit at Bordeaux-Begles, were back-to-back defeats to the Bulls, at home, and at Cardiff, results which have left Munster outside the top-eight play-off places with two games of the regular season remaining.

Both are at home, with the second of them a week on Friday in Cork against play-off rivals Benetton, a place ahead of them in eighth on total wins, eight to seven after 16 of the 18 rounds.

O’Mahony, 35, is one of eight Munster players who returned from injury to resume training with the squad on Monday with fellow veterans Stephen Archer and Conor Murray among those now available for what could be their final outings at Thomond Park. Tom Ahern, Liam Coombes, John Hodnett, Oli Jager, and Josh Wycherley have also passed fit and the former captain said every squad member was aware of what was required for the final two rounds.

"We've put ourselves under pressure but we know if we put our game together that we have the ability to put together some good performances and get the points we need,” O’Mahony said.

"We've spoken about our individual responsibility of our performance needs to improve first and foremost. We're expecting a big, physical derby. Ulster coming down in particular, it's going to be a big, spicy one.” 

Munster also reported no adverse reactions for Mike Haley, Gavin Coombes, Calvin Nash, Diarmuid Barron and Craig Casey following their returns from injury in the loss to Cardiff on April 25 and assistant coach Mike Prendergast said the impact of those additional 13 senior players to the ranks was “huge”.

"Massively important,” the attack coach said. “People perform best when the competition is there and fortunately enough we're starting to recover a few players and you can see and feel it in training, there was a good clip to it and it's going to be a big occasion for these players.

"There's two games left in this block but to be honest with you, Friday is all that matters. You can say the pressure is on when I say that and that's the reality, sometimes you have to look these things in the eye and not shy away from them.”