Peter O'Mahony was thrown in at the deep end in his first game as Ireland captain after Johnny Sexton's retirement, with a mammoth task ahead of the team in Marseille against France on Friday night.
The performance from Ireland on the night was simply sensational, as they racked up their biggest win over France in 111 years in the bearpit of the Stade Vélodrome.
Though the game was tough to call beforehand, nobody could have foreseen the dominance of Ireland on the night, and it now has them in pole position to claim championship glory. Not just that - they are now set up to become the first team in the Six Nations era to win back-to-back Grand Slams.
It was a night to remember for O'Mahony and his Ireland teammates, with the new captain's post-match interview perfectly displaying his leadership qualities.
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Peter O'Mahony praises Ireland's new generation after stunning opening night win in France
There were a few unknowns hanging over this Ireland squad coming into Friday night's game. Calvin Nash and Joe McCarthy made their first-ever Six Nations appearances, while Jack Crowley made his first start in the tournament as Johnny Sexton's replacement at fly-half.
Any fears about how the trio would fare in their new roles were dispelled by their performances in Marseille. Nash was a try scorer, McCarthy was awarded man-of-the-match, and Crowley stepped up to the enormous task of replacing Sexton with aplomb.
"A big chunk of that was the youngfellas. Guys like Calvin, Jack, Big Joe!"
Joe McCarthy is officially 'Big Joe' 😂
Ireland captain Peter O'Mahony speaking post-match in Marseille.#FRAvIRE | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/hx9aLhqhMp— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 2, 2024
Speaking immediately after the game, Peter O'Mahony showed exactly why he was chosen to replace Sexton in his other role as Ireland captain. In the midst of one of the most remarkable victories in Ireland's Six Nations history, O'Mahony took the time to single out the young trio for their impact on a stunning Irish performance:
It's hard to sum up. A serious test match. I'm very proud of the lads for the way they controlled the game. We were cool under certain decisions, composed...it got a bit frantic for the last ten minutes down to 14 with my yellow card. But we stayed with the plan the whole time. We didn't get carried away with positive or negative moments. I thought that was good, considering certain young players were coming in.
I think a big chunk of [the overall performance] was the young fellas. Guys like Calvin Nash, Jack, big Joe - there were some big, big performances from guys getting an opportunity. It's hard to pick a few guys out but I thought it was a good start.
That O'Mahony made sure to mention the fresh trio in the Ireland squad on two separate occasions summed up the leadership qualities which saw him chosen as Sexton's replacement.
O'Mahony was a popular choice as captain and, though his game did end with his second-half sin bin, he was one of several Irish forwards who put in standout performances in the first period, proving his worth beyond a leadership role.
Joe McCarthy, in particular, received widespread plaudits from rugby pundits in the aftermath of Ireland's massive victory, and the big call to place him in the lineup ahead of James Ryan paid off massively for head coach Andy Farrell.
Ireland fans could scarcely have dreamt of a win as resounding as that which the team achieved over France on Friday night, and it was the perfect way to kick off the Peter O'Mahony era as captain.
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