Munster Assistant Denis Leamy on Peter O’Mahony’s Contract Situation: An Ongoing Process
Munster assistant coach Denis Leamy has refrained from commenting on the reports surrounding flanker Peter O’Mahony’s potential departure from the province at the end of the season. O’Mahony, who relinquished his role as Munster captain earlier this season, currently finds himself with an uncertain future, as there are rumors that he has not been offered a contract from either the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) or the province for the upcoming year.
O’Mahony, 34, is currently under an IRFU central contract, set to expire this summer. If the union decides not to renew the contract, the responsibility of funding a deal to retain O’Mahony’s services would fall on Munster. The Irish Times recently reported that Munster has yet to present a contract offer to their former captain, who has an impressive record of 179 appearances for the province and 101 appearances for Ireland.
When questioned about O’Mahony’s future, Leamy remained tight-lipped, stating, It’s an ongoing process. I think Wig [Graham Rowntree] has probably spoken about it over the last while. It’s an ongoing process and it’s probably unfair for me to comment any further than that. That’s still ongoing, so we’ll just have to wait and see how that pans out.
Despite no longer holding the captaincy, O’Mahony proved his value to the team in Munster’s impressive 29-18 victory over Toulon in the Investec Champions Cup last Saturday. After missing six games due to a shoulder injury, the experienced back row played 63 minutes in the match, contributing significantly to Munster’s near-certain qualification for the last 16.
Describing O’Mahony’s impact on the team, Munster’s defense coach highlighted his leadership qualities and standard-setting abilities, stating, Pete is a great standard-driver. Obviously, he has great experience and he has been around a long time at this stage. He just brings a great calmness, a great standard-setter, and just his ability to play rugby as well is fantastic.
Munster is gradually overcoming their injury crisis, with O’Mahony, Niall Scannell, and Joey Carbery all making their returns in the victory over Toulon. The tighthead prop Oli Jager, who suffered a concussion during the New Year’s Day defeat to Connacht, is expected to return for this Saturday’s match against Northampton Saints.
Commenting on the team’s overall medical situation, Leamy expressed his satisfaction, saying, We’re after winning and you look at the medical report and it’s almost green. There’s a couple of ambers, and that’s never the worst thing. Yeah, it was good to see that.
However, the injury news isn’t all positive for Munster. Back row Jack O’Donoghue sustained a knee injury during the Connacht defeat and was initially expected to face up to nine months on the sidelines. Munster has now confirmed that surgery will not be required, but O’Donoghue is still looking at a recovery period of three to four months.
Recognizing the positive aspect within the unfortunate situation, Leamy said, Look, it is bad news. There’s a silver lining there in that I wasn’t speaking to him today, but we expected the worst after the incident. It was unfortunate in terms of the injury he sustained, but three or four months isn’t the end of the world, fortunately.
Munster fans will undoubtedly miss O’Donoghue’s presence, particularly during the Six Nations, where his leadership and experience would have been pivotal. Nevertheless, there is hope that O’Donoghue will make a return before the end of the season.
The upcoming clash between Munster and Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup can be watched on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 4.45 pm this Saturday. Alternatively, fans can follow the live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app or listen live on RTÉ Radio 1.
