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O’Mahony calls for calm after Ireland’s third-place finish

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Peter O’Mahony has said that he believes reaction to Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations campaign has been overly downbeat.

Peter O’Mahony has said that he believes reaction to Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations campaign has been overly downbeat.

Ireland won three of their five matches but defeats to England in the first round and Wales in the last saw them relinquish their title and finish third in the table, with Wales becoming Champions for the first time since 2013.

O’Mahony, an Ireland vice-captain, lined out in all five or Ireland’s matches in the Guinness Six Nations and will lead Munster when they face Edinburgh in a Champions Cup quarter-final clash at Thomond Park on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking to Virgin Media’s Sinead Kissane, the 29-year-old emphasised the strength of Ireland’s record, which includes a Grand Slam in 2018, a victory over New Zealand in November and a series win in Australia.

He said: “The coaching staff will go away and look at it and we’ll all put our heads together when we come back.

Asked if he was frustrated by the response to Ireland’s campaign, the Munster captain responded: “Absolutely. It doesn’t particularly bother me.

“The guys I have around me, I’ve huge confidence in them and hopefully likewise, and huge confidence in our coaching staff, which is all that matters to me.”