Ireland have beaten the All Blacks in Dublin for the first time in rugby history, and a night hewn with heroes saw one man rise above them all: Peter O'Mahony. His performance was, simply, astonishing.
The significance of it all wasn't lost on him afterward, telling RTE that it had taken a hundred or so years to get here.
O'Mahony went down with a hip injury at the 50-minute mark, after which Donal Lenihan exclaimed that he could hardly walk, and pre-emptively sent him to the sidelines. After that, O'Mahony popped up to take a crucial line-out, materialised out of nowhere to pluck the ball away from an almost certain try, and then ended his evening's heroism with an astonishing turnover.
Here's that improbable pluck....
Yoink! Try-saver from POM! https://t.co/S4xUIVmxVk #RTErugby #IREvNZL pic.twitter.com/2HFG1NMKqq
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) November 17, 2018
....and Furlong attests to the importance of that valedictory turnover.
When you're lucky enough to play with Peter O'Mahony. pic.twitter.com/Cbi8tbGufW
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) November 17, 2018
Here's the public crowning of an Irish hero:
Peter O’Mahony today = Richard Dunne in Moscow.
— Eoin McDevitt (@EoinMcDevitt) November 17, 2018
Peter O’Mahony with the individual performance of any player in any sport this year
— Cahair O'Kane (@CahairOKane1) November 17, 2018
As good a 63 minutes as I've seen from him. What a performance from Peter O'Mahony #IREvNZL
— Three Red Kings (@threeredkings) November 17, 2018
Peter O’Mahony has died for Ireland
— DaveTynan (@dave_tynan) November 17, 2018
When Peter O'Mahony goes fishing he just stands in the river and catches salmon with his bare hands. #IREvNZL
— Mark Farrelly (@MarkFarrelly131) November 17, 2018
Other rugby players wear Peter O'Mahony pajamas! #hero #IRLvNZL
— Eamonn McGurk (@McGurkEamonn) November 17, 2018
Peter O'Mahony: It's a big game next week against The States.
Everyone on Earth: No, Peter, it's not#IREvNZL— Declan Brennan (@TheRaceTool) November 17, 2018
Peter O’Mahony defending NZL tries all over the pitch. That’s one of the biggest 60mins of his career. #IREvNZL
— Killian Byrne (@killianbyrne) November 17, 2018
Not to be overdramatic but I would die for Peter O'Mahony. #IREvNZL
— Ronzo Teilifís Eireann (@ronronzo) November 17, 2018
