The announcement of Warren Gatland's Lions team for the last weekend game before the All Blacks test series was probably the most anticipated and scrutinised of any team selection made on tour so far. The game against the New Zealand Maori is the last chance for Gatland to gel his first choice team before the tests begin, and while there will definitely be one or two changes yet to come (Farrell and Wyn Jones will come in for sure with maybe one or two more), it's the strongest team the Lions will have fielded yet in what will be just seven days out from the first test.
And while we all woke up this morning eager to see what Irish players had made it into the starting XV, there was another lovely bonus to those of us scanning the news at first light - the surprise of Munster's Peter O'Mahony being named captain.
It's great news for O'Mahony in his hopes of making a test team just months after he would have thought he had no chance of even making the tour. But then again, there's not much that is beyond the 27 year old Cork man, as he has shown throughout his career - a career which has made him the natural successor to Paul O'Connell as Munster and Ireland's talismanic leader and the most beloved and inspirational player on the field.
He's come a long way since going to the Under 20's World Cup in 2009....
Not sure he'd stand for this kind of bizarre photo shoots these days though.
It was a quick rise from there. From Munster A in early 2010....
To raging through the AIL with Cork Con that spring...
To laughing at the defeated Wallabies that autumn.
2011 was the year he would break into the Munster first team properly, and he was quickly carrying the entire province on his back
As such natural leader, it didn't take long for him to stand in as captain.
He quickly learned from the master, copying everything he did.
It wasn't long before he broke into the Ireland squad, like a kid arriving for his first day of school.
He quickly endeared himself to Irish fans as the most passionate (and tone deaf) anthem singer we've ever had.
He's already faced the All Blacks in June in New Zealand. It would give you a terrible headache...
2013 saw him captaining his country at just 23 years old.
And was quickly named permanent Munster captain too...
2013/14 proved quite a season for POM.
He enjoyed the spoils of being a Munster hero.
And just went and won the Six Nations, no big deal...
Everything was going so well until a shoulder injury in the Heineken Cup quarter final ended his season.
He was back in action in November though. Shoulder injury? Not a bother...
And just the two in a row that spring...
2015 was all leading to the World Cup. And it started so well...
Until the French game. O'Mahony would miss a year as one of the multitude of Irish players who would go down in the victory over France.
All they could do was look on as we crashed out in the Quarter Finals (again) without them.
It was a long road back...
But he was back in red after a tough 12 months out...
But tragedy would soon strike for Munster, and rugby in general, with the sad passing of Anthony Foley
O'Mahony's leadership was to the fore in the days, weeks, and months after the loss of his coach.
His famous lineout steal against England in the Grand Slam spoiler was indicative of a man of the match performance that earned his place on the plane to New Zealand.
It is a long tour, but he probably overdid it on the packing.
Rumour has it the Corkman had Lions pictures on his wall as a kid. He made his debut against The Blues in the second tour game.
But it was in the hardfought win over the Crusaders that the Munster man really put his hand up for test selection
And today, ahead of his third game for The Lions, Peter O'Mahony was selected as captain by coach Warren Gatland for the game against New Zealand Maori.
A natural leader on every team he's been on. This should really be no surprise to anyone. Good luck to the latest captain of the British and Irish Lions.
