"Have history" - Ireland legend Peter O'Mahony ranks his three toughest opponents
Rugby NewsMonday, 02 October 2023 at 12:18
In a riveting conversation ahead of his momentous 100th cap against Scotland this weekend, Irish stalwart Peter O'Mahony has taken us down memory lane, reminiscing about the fiercest adversaries he has encountered in his illustrious career.
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The 32-year-old, who played a pivotal role in Ireland's historic triumph over New Zealand on their home soil earlier this summer, shared an intriguing revelation.
It turns out that his three most formidable opponents, unveiled below, all don the iconic black jersey of the All Blacks.
#3. Kieran Read
- Age: 36
- Position: Number 8
- Caps: 128
O'Mahony said: "Read was probably the most skilful I’ve come up against whether it was backs or forwards – he’d be well up there as well.”
HRH Prince Harry shares a laugh with Kieran Read of New Zealand - Photo mandatory by-line: Gareth Davies/Pinnacle - Tel: +44(0)1363 881025 - Mobile:0797 1270 681 - VAT Reg No: 183700120 - 31/10/2015 - SPORT - RUGBY UNION - RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 FINAL - New Zealand v Australia - Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London, England.
DID YOU KNOW? Read was a talented cricketer, representing Northern District age-group teams and being selected for the New Zealand Under-17 tournament side in 200
Super Rugby
- Super Rugby Centurion
- Super Rugby Champion - 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019
Individual
- New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year
- Winner: 2010, 2013
- World Rugby Player of the Year
- Winner: 2013
- Test Rugby Centurion
- All Black Captain: 2013 - 2019
- 100 Test starts
In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, Read was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby.
#2. Richie McCaw
- Age: 41
- Position: Flanker
- Caps: 148
O'Mahony said: One of my heroes. I feel very privileged to have played against him. The All Blacks have never replaced him."
DID YOU KNOW? McCaw's great-great-grandfather immigrated to New Zealand from the Scottish Borders in 1893. As tribute to his roots, the legendary All Black has learned how to play the bagpipes.
#1. Jerry Collins
- Age: Passed away 5 June 2015 (aged 34)
- Position: Flanker
- Caps: 48
O'Mahony said: “In games, I remember for some reason that Ospreys team when I first started off. They had a back-row of Jerry Collins, [Filo] Tiatia and Marty Holah would have been playing in the back-row as well. I was only probably just out of my teens. It was a nasty enough back-row to be coming up against. Collins was a viscous bas***rd but a real gentleman off the pitch."
DID YOU KNOW? Collins was a cousin of former All Blacks captain and Hurricanes teammate Tana Umaga.
Death: Collins and his partner Alana Madill, aged 34, died on the morning of 5 June 2015, after Alana fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of their car and collided with a bus on the A9 autoroute near Béziers in southern France. His three-month-old baby daughter, Ayla, survived, largely due to Collins attempting to take the brunt of the force away from Ayla by enveloping her in his own body
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