Connacht Tribune

O’Mahony’s dismissal leads to a disastrous defeat for Ireland

Published

4 years ago

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The death has taken place of former Galwegians and Connacht scrum half Danno Heaslip. Along with his brother late Michael, he also owned 1982 Champion Hurdle winner For Auction. Pictured are the Galwegians team which defeated UCG (11-3) to win the Connacht Cup final at the Sportsground in April 1969. Front row, left to right: Frank McLoughlin, Dave Lyons, Billy Quinn, Danno Heaslip, Joe Costello, Mick Shaughnessy, Daithi Frawley and John O’Shaughnessy. Back row: Frank Robinson, Harry O’Connor, John Rafferty, Paddy O’Reilly, Mick Casserly, Liam McDermot, Michael Heaslip and referee Paddy Beatty. Photo: Stan Shields.

Inside Track with John McIntyre

NO matter what kind of positive spin the vanquished camp or the rugby pundits put on it, the inescapable conclusion is that Ireland’s unexpected loss to Wales in Cardiff on Sunday was a disaster – the strong pre-match favourites paying the ultimate price for indiscipline and poor execution at key moments.

Typically, there were bullish noises coming from the Irish coaching staff and players ahead of their opening game in the Six Nations. In a way it was hard to blame them as it was only last November that they had swamped the Welsh 32-9 in the Autumn Nations Cup.

Furthermore, new Welsh Head Coach Wayne Pivac was struggling to fill the big void left by Warren Gatland. They only managed three wins – Georgia and two against Italy – during 2020 and looked for all the world like a team in serious decline having won the Grand Slam in 2019 and reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in Japan.

Putting everything together, it was set up for an Irish victory and they would have got one too only for Peter O’Mahony’s moment of madness in the 14th minute with a dangerous head-high on Thomas Francis at the breakdown. Referee Wayne Barnes had no option but to brandish the red card to the long serving back-row.

Down to 14 men and soon behind six-nil after two Leigh halfpenny penalties, the game looked already over for the men in green, especially as James Ryan was forced to retire injured. Ireland, however responded heroically to the crisis and gradually took control of the exchanges with the likes of Tadgh Beirne, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, Andrew Porter and Josh van de Flier to the fore.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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