‘I needed to change’: Peter O’Mahony on ditching hard-edged ritual, and his love of gardening

'I needed to change': Peter O’Mahony on ditching hard-edged ritual, and his love of gardening

The ex-captain of Ireland discusses embracing his emotions, noting that every coach aside from Andy Farrell has been 'somewhat eccentric', and the sorrow of a harsh departure from Munster.

"It’s a natural human impulse, especially for an athlete, to dread losing," Peter O’Mahony remarks on a tranquil Dublin evening as the new rugby season approaches. "However, it occasionally obstructed me and led to frustration. I truly can’t pinpoint the origin of that deep-seated aversion, but it would sometimes throw me off course."

The former leader of Munster, Ireland, and the Lions is now in his second year of retirement, and the stoic toughness and unwavering dedication that marked his career have given way to more nuanced introspection. O’Mahony is an intriguing figure, and I inquire whether he would have possessed the same competitive drive if he had excelled in, say, chess or mathematics.