Andy Farrell has claimed that he and his team will be realistic regarding Peter O'Mahony's future with Ireland.
Ireland secured another Six Nations title with a 13-17 victory against Scotland on Saturday night, but amidst the celebrations, rumours swirled about Peter O'Mahony's potential departure from the Irish team. O'Mahony was visibly emotional during Ireland's call, fueling speculation about his future in the green jersey.
Following the win against Scotland, O'Mahony was pressed about his plans, but he remained tight-lipped, hinting at significant decisions pending with his family and assessing his physical condition.
"I don't know; it could be [his last Ireland game]. It could be. I have a couple of big decisions to make over the next few weeks with my family. See how my body feels. I'm still loving it. I have a couple of important conversations to have. I'll tell you what. If it is the last one, I'll be a happy man," said the Munster back-row.
Farrell was questioned about O'Mahony's potential retirement as well. The Ireland head coach acknowledged that the decision ultimately lies with O'Mahony and affirmed that they would approach it realistically.
"Whatever is right for him. I've been an unbelievable big fan of Pete all his career, and we've had a close enough relationship to be honest with one another, and we've been talking about his career, certainly over when it's getting to the end, for the last year. We're realists as far as that's concerned. I've no doubt we'll chew the fat on all that over the next few days," said Farrell.
For now, however, they will revel in the glory of their Six Nations victory. Farrell believes that the loss suffered last week was crucial for this special Ireland group, as it has only strengthened them collectively.
🗣️ 'It means the world to me!'
🗣️ 'It's hard, because it's so special! You want it to last for hours!'
After an emotional anthem, Peter O'Mahony sums up just what playing for Ireland means to him. | ☘️
🎙️ @ashoreilly_
Become a member ➡️ https://t.co/zjoL9xndtL pic.twitter.com/CHl5uToOUJ— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 17, 2024
"I reckon the loss last week [against England] will be the best thing for us as a group because some of these lads, subconsciously now—not through their own doing—have become used to winning. They have, but the special thing about the Six Nations and why the Grand Slams are so hard to do is that they change from week to week, as we all know."
"Some people are fighting for their lives, and for this group, for some of the lads who are not used to losing at all, I don’t know, I’ll have to ask them, do they get to the point where they’re turning up for games actually thinking 'we’re doing it’?"
"You’re never doing it. You’re never doing it in the Six Nations because things change from week to week, and that Test match last week was a proper Test match in Twickenham, and so it should be. We’ll learn the lessons from that, and that will be powerful for us going forward, like this one was tonight."
Scotland hadn't beaten Ireland in Dublin in over 20 years and were a score away from snatching the title from Ireland. However, Ireland managed to fend off the spirited Scots. Farrell also commended Scotland for their gutsy performance in Dublin.
"This was a proper test match. Scotland are a great side. I thought they were tenacious, they were tough, and I actually thought we played bloody well. We came out of the blocks in the second half, and that was magnificent. The power, the pace, we put into the game, but we couldn’t get over the line, but that’s how it should be."
