Peter O'Mahony is a God (in Munster) - but is he actually any good?

Liam Toland, former Munster backrow doesnt really rate him right now and neither do I. Do you and why?

"Peter O’Mahony is an interesting character who is developing into a fine leader. I fear, however, that his combative style is stunting his rugby playing progress. He has all the tools to be world class but often gets bogged down in street fighting. IRB Player of the Year Kieran Read is what O’Mahony should be striving for – broaden your game."
-Liam Toland
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/just-who-are-we-this-six-nations-is-a-real-chance-to-find-our-personality-1.1665970?page=2

Hes touted as a fine leader having captained at all levels at some point but is that enough to pick him?

Onfield he is all fire and brimstone and always looks like he is "starting" but for me he is a bit like the forward version of Luke Fitzgerald. Plenty of skill/talent but clueless when it comes to applying it to certain situations. All in all a fairly ineffective player in my opinion. A little more composure and intellegent rugby would go a long way for both players.

To be honest, its hard to see who would replace him. Robbie Diack? Rhys Ruddock? Iain Henderson? Kevin McLaughlin? Henderson is the most talented of that bunch but he is being developed as a lock.

Given who the alternatives are I don't think there is an argument against him being clear first choice, while accepting he still has a lot of scope to improve.

To be honest up until recently I'd have said No he isn't that good - he's the Keith Earls of the back row, an average player who's massively overrated.

But I'm going to do a U-turn and say that he's becoming a talisman for Munster and a fine leader. He's improved his physicality and ball carrying to compliment his combative personality. He's still not the finished article but he's getting there.

I still think 8 may be his best position though but he's improving as a blindside.

rodders wrote:To be honest up until recently I'd have said No he isn't that good - he's the Keith Earls of the back row, an average player who's massively overrated.

But I'm going to do a U-turn and say that he's becoming a talisman for Munster and a fine leader. He's improved his physicality and ball carrying to compliment his combative personality. He's still not the finished article but he's getting there.

I still think 8 may be his best position though but he's improving as a blindside.

He is a flash player, but a Munster flash player. He does the things that Munster fans love, and those can be great things for a team; Manic aggression like    Coupled with eye-catching runs, its attractive to see.

Is he as good as the Munster lads keep saying; No - I think he has a huge potential ceiling, but is no where close to that yet. He is great captain but I hope his skill set keeps up with leadership abilities; otherwise you could end up with John Smit in his later years - leader of men, 3rd best in his position. But as of now I think all issues with POM have been over-stated and I think we will have alot better idea of his ability post-6 nations where he will have to help fill the SOB shaped hole in our backrow.

What I would say is that He, Heaslip and SOB is not the most balanced back row.

O'Brien plays better with a more natural blindside like Ferris, Ruddock, McLaughlin - O'Mahoney with an orthodox 7 like O'Donnell or Henry.

Heaslip plays better when there's Toulon representatives or lions selectors in the crowd.

Henry (probably) being in the back row means Heaslip has a great chance to prove he can play the role of a ball-carrying number 8.

rodders wrote:What I would say is that He, Heaslip and SOB is not the most balanced back row.

If the idea is to outmuscle the opposition, then that back-row works well.

The Saint wrote:

rodders wrote:What I would say is that He, Heaslip and SOB is not the most balanced back row.

If the idea is to outmuscle the opposition, then that back-row works well.

No I don't think so - all 3 are guys who naturally like to carry in the wide channels.

rodders wrote:What I would say is that He, Heaslip and SOB is not the most balanced back row.

Agree with that.

rodders wrote:


Heaslip plays better when there's Toulon representatives or lions selectors in the crowd.

Not so sure about this.

Never really rated him either:
put it like this:
- he doesn't have the breakdown work like Chris Henry
- doesn't have the brute force and carrying ability of Sean O'Brien or Stephan Ferris
- doesn't have work rate or handling ability like Jamie Heaslip

Rate both Tommy O'Donnell and Robin Copeland a lot more than him as well. So he is far from one of the bets option available to Schmidt

Jhamer25 wrote:Never really rated him either:
put it like this:
- he doesn't have the breakdown work like Chris Henry
- doesn't have the brute force and carrying ability of Sean O'Brien or Stephan Ferris
- doesn't have  work rate or handling ability like Jamie Heaslip

Rate both Tommy O'Donnell and Robin Copeland a lot more than him as well. So he is far from one of the bets option available to Schmidt

I have to agree with this, my prefered back row for Ireland would be SOB/Henry/Heaslip with POM on the bench

He's probably our most aggressive player but doesn't have the physicality to back it up at times. As it was already mentioned, I think number 8 would suit him better.

As it stands, he will almost certainly start against Scotland. Ruddock is putting pressure on him but I would put money on POM starting every game in the 6 nations.

GunsGerms wrote:Liam Toland, former Munster backrow doesnt really rate him right now and neither do I. Do you and why?

"Peter O’Mahony is an interesting character who is developing into a fine leader. I fear, however, that his combative style is stunting his rugby playing progress. He has all the tools to be world class but often gets bogged down in street fighting. IRB Player of the Year Kieran Read is what O’Mahony should be striving for – broaden your game."
-Liam Toland
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/just-who-are-we-this-six-nations-is-a-real-chance-to-find-our-personality-1.1665970?page=2

Hes touted as a fine leader having captained at all levels at some point but is that enough to pick him?

Onfield he is all fire and brimstone and always looks like he is "starting" but for me he is a bit like the forward version of Luke Fitzgerald. Plenty of skill/talent but clueless when it comes to applying it to certain situations. All in all a fairly ineffective player in my opinion. A little more composure and intellegent rugby would go a long way for both players.

More nonsense. So he has skill and talent now but no brain! It changes week by week. Everyone who doesn't like him try to pick holes in his game but yet its all opinions a f all facts.

I cannot believe that POM is being questioned about his talent here. Question his temperament all you like as it is not the best at times but I cant see how his talent is in question.

Captained at all levels, captain of a Munster side that is top of their league and in the 1/4 finals of the HC.

He makes breaks, has great defence and is very good at the breakdown. He is a certain starter for Ireland and a future captain of Ireland. That I have no doubts about.

Nachos Jones wrote:I cannot believe that POM is being questioned about his talent here. Question his temperament all you like as it is not the best at times but I cant see how his talent is in question.

Captained at all levels, captain of a Munster side that is top of their league and in the 1/4 finals of the HC.

He makes breaks, has great defence and is very good at the breakdown. He is a certain starter for Ireland and a future captain of Ireland. That I have no doubts about.

I think we can agree that he's not as good a 6 as SOB or Ferris, so if Joe decides he wants a more traditional 7 (Henry) where does this leave POM?

I would say he is a different sort of 6 to Ferris or SOB, with the potential to be just as good.

Also, someone above said he isn't as good at the breakdown as Henry - I think that is rubbish, he seems to make more turnovers than any other back rower I have seen in Ireland. Also he is a very good ball carrier with quick feet similar to Heaslip. He actually seems to make the hard yards better than SOB from what I have seen, from a static start.

My main criticism of POM is that he can be found waiting in the wide channels for the flashy stuff, which he is indeed very good at, but his best games are when he is right in the thick of the action. When he plays like that, he is monstrous.

I have to agree though that POM, SOB and Heaslip as the back row doesn't seem balanced, particularly POM and SOB as flankers. They don't really seem to gel together. The most balanced flanker partnership in Ireland would be O'Mahony and O'Donnell for Munster. Last year they were on fire. Like watching Quinlan and Wallace again.

I don't think SOB is always going to be at 7, in all honesty. The great thing is that both SOB and POM can play all three positions in the back row, to a very high standard. So I do think they can both feature in the back row, I'm just not sure they can both play at flanker. It just doesn't seem to click.

Schmidt more often than not played SOB at 7 when he had a more traditional 7 like Jennings in the Leinster squad, so I think that where SOB will continue to feature for Ireland when fit.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:I would say he is a different sort of 6 to Ferris or SOB, with the potential to be just as good.

Also, someone above said he isn't as good at the breakdown as Henry - I think that is rubbish, he seems to make more turnovers than any other back rower I have seen in Ireland.  Also he is a very good ball carrier with quick feet similar to Heaslip.  He actually seems to make the hard yards better than SOB from what I have seen, from a static start.

My main criticism of POM is that he can be found waiting in the wide channels for the flashy stuff, which he is indeed very good at, but his best games are when he is right in the thick of the action.  When he plays like that, he is monstrous.

The Mole on POM and Irelands back row

Sean O’Brien was probably Ireland’s best player [again] but being the top performer of a cast who flubs their lines isn’t the stuff of which Oscar dreams are made. Aside from O’Brien, it was one of those games that crop up every now and again where the Irish backrow looked unbalanced and stilted, with Heaslip and O’Mahony putting in essentially identical, and identically ordinary, performances.

O’Mahony handled the ball 15 times, Heaslip 14 times; the former made 11 runs for 14m [for an average carry of 1.27m] and the latter made 8 runs for 7m [an average carry of 0.86m]; they each beat one defender, with O’Mahony credited with no clean breaks but one offload, and Heaslip credited with one clean break and no offloads; they both made just four tackles [well, Ireland did have the majority of possession]; and Heaslip was modestly more effective at the ruck and breakdown in each half [26 to 25 in the first half and 35 to 32 in the second half].

It’d seem to The Mole that O’Mahony’s most natural position is at No8 [the position where he played most of his underage rugby], and that he should be considered there to pose a genuine challenge to Heaslip’s recent hegemony of the job. Heaslip hasn’t had much competition for the jersey since handily seeing off Dennis Leamy’s challenge almost five years ago, and as a result his form has occasionally dipped without any selection repercussions. It’s difficult to see the recourse of playing O’Mahony at No8 not spurring both players on.

It's a thriller, thriller night: Peter O'Mahony shows off his lineout moves against Australia.
It’s a thriller, thriller night: Peter O’Mahony shows off his lineout moves against Australia. With both Toner and O’Connell in the team for the majority of the series, O’Mahony’s lineout talents went a little underused. Forwards coach Plumtree will have seen more of his work in this area before the squad meets up again for the Six Nations, and there’s every chance that the Cork man will have a bigger part to play up and down the line on both Irish and opposition ball.

It’s a good use of resources to get O’Mahony into the team at blindside, because he’s currently one of the best backrows in the country. Against that, you’d want to go out of your way not to see the holes in his game as a No6. The strongest part of the Munster captain’s game are his open-field running, his handling and his lineout work, while the weakest are his tackling, his hitting power and his size.

O’Mahony has responded well to Schmidt’s coaching and gameplan, passing as many times in his first two tests under the new regime [10 times, 4 against Australia and 6 against Samoa] as he did in his last seven games under Kidney. It’s a natural strength of his, and has only been encouraged by the new coach rather than implanted.

With the exception of the Samoan test, where his run up the middle went unsupported and he turned over the ball with a hit-and-hope offload, he didn’t really find his groove as a ball carrier over the November tests. He got on the ball quite a lot against Australia but the Wallaby fringe defense were alive to him [and every other forward, it should be said] and dropped him before he could get into a bit of fresh air and put the pedal down. His carrying game against New Zealand was practically non-existent [3 carries for 2m] as he buried himself in less glamourous work at ruck and breakdown.

With Toner and O’Connell both on the pitch, O’Mahony was only used as a lineout wrinkle against Australia, taking one ball on the Irish throw, just as he did in the other couple of tests. Given the effectiveness as a spoiler at the front of the line on opposition ball that he showed in Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Harlequins, The Mole feels that he could be used more often in this role – he’s got a natural spring and his spare build makes him a quick and easy lift in the same mould as Julien Bonnaire.

Unfortunately, that’s one of the downsides to his game as a blindside. He’s a little undersized and maybe underpowered [at the moment] for the position at test level. Steven Luatua, his opposite number in the NZ game, is listed at 196cm and 114kg, while Scott Fardy, his direct opponent in the Wallabies game, makes 198cm and 111kg.

O’Mahony is listed at 191cm and 108kg, but it seems pretty f*cking fanciful that he’s the same weight as Sean O’Brien and 3kg heavier than David Wallace was at his peak. Of course, measurables aren’t everything. Thierry Dusautoir is listed as between 95-100kg and is one of the greatest flankers of the last decade. However, Dusautoir is one of the best tacklers of the professional era, and O’Mahony isn’t.

The Mole has seen a number of arguments forwarded in defense of O’Mahony’s defense [so to speak]. Just like Toner is not a particularly effective rucker at test level, O’Mahony is not a particularly effective tackler. I think it’s as simple as that. It doesn’t mean that he’s not a good player, or that he doesn’t have other strengths in his game, but it’s a real thing. In general, he doesn’t make as many tackles as you would expect of a good test backrower – Jamie Heaslip made more tackles against New Zealand in 80 minutes [21] than O’Mahony managed in his 216 minutes on the pitch in all three tests [19 - 7 vs Samoa, 4 vs Australia, 8 vs New Zealand] – and he doesn’t make enough big hits for a blindside in particular. At this stage of his career, he has started 15 test matches in the backrow and failed to make it into a double-figure tackle count even once; of those test starts, he averages slightly under 72 minutes on the park and just under 6.5 tackles/game. Like Toner and rucking, it’s something that he needs to work on.

Gretgael1 wrote:Schmidt more often than not played SOB at 7 when he had a more traditional 7 like Jennings in the Leinster squad, so I think that where SOB will continue to feature for Ireland when fit.

SOB has been fantastic at 7 and if there has to be a choice, SOB starts and POM doesn't. That is clear right now, as SOB is possibly our best player. However, Ireland (and Leinster) are going to have a lot of very good options at 7 coming through the ranks, more than they have probably ever had before. For Leinster alone there is Murphy, Ryan, Gilsenan, Van Der Flier and Leavy. All have a lot of potential.

In fact, it looks like Ireland will have more depth (of good quality at least) at 7 than at 6 or 8 for a change.

To say O'Mahony isn't an effective tackler is pretty laughable you know. His tackle count is low sometimes, and again this is due to his Croft-esque impression he does at times (for reasons unknown) but he is a very good defender. It is his game style that needs fixing, so that he can know his role and do it effectively. Which should be getting in the thick of the action where he is best.

Also about his size, if anything SOB is more than 108kg, because I would say that POM certainly looks to be about that weight nowadays. Jerome Kaino was listed at 109kg in his prime at 195cm. So I don't think his size is a problem.

He's just doesn't have the size, power or work rate for test level rugby. It's as simple as that. Good club player.

Feckless Rogue wrote:He's just doesn't have the size, power or work rate for test level rugby. It's as simple as that. Good club player.

Ah now, he's still quite young (24), if anything he has accomplished much more than most do by his age, I think this might actually be his achilles heel amongst fans. Maybe we are expecting too much from him too soon. For example, when he plays for Munster he looks like he's been playing a lot longer than he has and being captain with POC in the same team probably doesn't help matters.

However, I think in the long run POM will come good for Ireland, we might even see more from him during this year's 6 nations due to SOB being out, which should give us a better idea of what he can do in green.

Feckless Rogue wrote:He's just doesn't have the size, power or work rate for test level rugby. It's as simple as that. Good club player.

He is a powerful ball carrier which he showed again in the past few weeks. In fact he is in the top league in terms of power. He is a terrific athlete and well able for international level where many players. Are found out.


Size wise, how big are the NZ backrow? 17st is fine. Remember forwards need a high work rate too.


Speaking of work rate, the poster above left out the end of that demented mole article that mentioned his "gut-busting work at the ruck" that scored him 3rd highest overall despite being on the field for 56min. Not to mention that he was many peoples MOTM against Samoa.


POM has also been Munsters best player this season.

Oh Guns, how sad..

anyway in answer to the question.

Yes he is very good and will win many caps for Ireland. He is probably the best backrow forward in Ireland at the moment by a long way. Despite what the Munster reject Toland thinks (something he is forever shamed for as a limerick man), POM is highly regarded by people of the calibre and knowhow like Quinlan, Philip Matthews and many others.

Oh come on Me-109 POM is a great player but even with your Red tinted glasses you can see that SOB is a step above every other backrow in the country.

No he's rubbish terrible ball carrier, no aggression, no commitment, very little power and does not make the right calls!!!

Nothing wrong with a bit debate but this is just silly.

Hopefully O'Mahony will settle the debate in the coming weeks. I don't see anyone else taking up the mantle although the back row tonight in the Wolfhounds game performed very well- encouraging.

Joe Schmidts first game against Samoa he picked Peter O'Mahony, Chris Henry, Jamie Heaslip- and we didn't really get to see much of those three together because Henry got injured after about 30 minutes.

I like the balance of that back row a lot, I expect it to start against Scotland and the way Henry plays it should free O'Mahony and Heaslip up to carry the ball.

The Prince of Irish back rows is on the Brendan O'Connor show shortly (with his 2 brothers).

Heaslip has never looked as good since Wally got injured and had to retire.

ME-109 wrote:Oh Guns, how sad..

anyway in answer to the question.

Yes he is very good and will win many caps for Ireland. He is probably the best backrow forward in Ireland at the moment by a long way. Despite what the Munster reject Toland thinks (something he is forever shamed for as a limerick man), POM is highly regarded by people of the calibre and knowhow like Quinlan, Philip Matthews and many others.

... talking about players who didn't make it at Munster .... he says in that piece that Cronin should be the starting hooker for Ireland (despite Cronin not actually being able to hook)   

Sin é wrote:The  Prince of Irish back rows is on the Brendan O'Connor show shortly (with his 2 brothers).

Heaslip has never looked as good since Wally got injured and had to retire.

You forgot to mention that SOB is still a pup in comparison...long way to go yet

ME-109 wrote:

Sin é wrote:The  Prince of Irish back rows is on the Brendan O'Connor show shortly (with his 2 brothers).

Heaslip has never looked as good since Wally got injured and had to retire.

You forgot to mention that SOB is still a pup in comparison...long way to go yet

Yep, can't understand the fuss being made about SOB considering that he hasn't got within an asses roar yet of the player that Wally was.

Yes he is good but not to the point that if all of Ferris SOB and Heaslip are fit he would still start for Ireland.

I also think he has stagnated from last season.

POM deserves some slack. He is still learning his trade and whilst not looking exceptional against the best opposition, he hasn't been man shamed either. Wally, Quinlan and Leamy were all inconsistent at his age, but showed enough to show their potential and he has too.

He suffers a bit because of his versatility in that he makes tackles but not bone crunching ones like Ferris. He is handy in the lineout but not feared there like Bonnaire. He has pace and can carry but doesn't have the tackle bursting power of an O'Brien... yet.

What he needs is time, as can be seen at Munster, where he is moulding himself into his role. At Ireland there is an imbalance because the backrow has to operate as a unit and he just hasn't found the understanding for a perfect fit... yet.

I shall say only this.  Plenty of Irish heavy-weights had some years of being awkward puppies with a big heart - before being able to use that raw fuddlesomeness (but seriously passionate involvement) to their advantage.

One that comes quickly to mind is Shane Horgan.  Now there was a sack full of giddy meaningful intent (always an exciting player) and yet also a bagful of comical and frustrating handfuddling in his early International years too.  Green - but green in the way Ireland uniquely breed 'em.  We keep them longer and therefore their schooling lasts longer - but mid career and late career is when to judge many of them.

And of course we all remember the great Paulie himself riding passenger up on the backs of a seismic (I think English?? correct me anyone who remembers more clearly) opposition scrum.  He was sitting right on top of it being driven easily home towards our tryline.  And that wasn't even too long ago in relative terms of paulie's overall career.

Everyone can look dumb now and again..  but O'Mahony gets to be Captain.  Coaches know what they're doing and they certainly know their careers are decided by their choices.  You might say O'Mahony is in his oak casket, maturing well.  We'll all know how good or bad he really is in a few years time when he's in a bottle ready to drink.

The way I see it, his only competition in the foreseeable future is Ruddock. Ruddock has been improving greatly and is also a leader, and both could be great players. The fact they can both play either 6 or 8 is very handy as well.

We certainly have a lot of options and combinations. As always, a balanced back row will always be better than one of individuals. Hopefully Schmidt will select the players who mould together best and stick with them.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:The way I see it, his only competition in the foreseeable future is Ruddock. Ruddock has been improving greatly and is also a leader, and both could be great players. The fact they can both play either 6 or 8 is very handy as well.

We certainly have a lot of options and combinations. As always, a balanced back row will always be better than one of individuals.  Hopefully Schmidt will select the players who mould together best and stick with them.

Ian Henderson has potential to be better than both.  He's already a better player than Ruddock, who it must be said, alongside Dom Ryan, has been an utter disappointment given his supposed underaged talents.  Its only this season that he has begun to show he might actually be a player able to deliver on his promise.  But I would rather have SOB, Ferris, Henry, TOD, or Diack before I'd pick Ruddock just yet.  I'd probably rather have Sean Dougall as well, a criminally underrated player.  If Ruddock can keep up his good form then he could be a decent international.  And he's only 23 so plenty of time. He looks like he has grown into his body and physically developed. But to suggest he's a real contender for a green shirt after a couple of months of decent form after four season of utter mediocrity is madness.

Some insight from his coach:


Foley tips O’Mahony to become world class

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

With one world class Irish player about to bow out at the end of the season, there’s another long-term Irish star in the making, according to Anthony Foley, the Munster forwards and Irish Wolfhounds coach.

“He’s his own man, I can tell you that. I’ve known Peter since he was 19, he came through when I was coaching the 20s, he went on through the Academy and the A system as well and he has always been a leader, the guy that others gravitate towards when they’re out on the pitch.”

“Amazing,” said Foley of that try. “He carried the ball into two or three players and came out the other side to get over the line. The sheer power of the man, the sheer determination to keep running and fighting was amazing.

“He got a bang early in the game, was limping for most of it, but he just kept going.”

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/foley-tips-omahony-to-become-world-class-256781.html

On the question of future Irish back row options, there is great potential in a lot of Leinster academy but with SOB and Heaslip signed up long(ish) term and McLaughlin/Ruddock/Jordi/Dom Ryan competing for the last spot, there is a strong case for some of Gilsenan/Van Der Flier/Leavy to have to move on, or even a couple of the last spotters listed as they are too good to hold back on a bench and will get too expensive to keep as rotation options. Using up the money on SOB (necessity) and Heaslip (?) probably reduces the pot available to hold on to so many back row options. For Ruddock down to Leavy, a move to a side with regular first team starts in quality fixtures might be required for them to have any chance of developing into International prospects.

Oh, on the OP, I think POM is more than good.  He is maturing into a leader, has the respect of the pack, great abrasiveness and is becoming more focused in executing during the game. The sky is the limit in his development and I reckon as said above, he is one of those players that will kick on to, potentially, the undroppable level in a couple of years.

On Leinster back rowers, I think Dom Ryan will be the one to move on. He has so much potential but injuries have meant he hasnt played that much. With Ruddock and now Jordi Murphy ahead of him as well as SOB, Heaslip, Jennings and McLaughlin he should look away for opportunities. Hes almost 24 and needs to be playing regularly plus at 7 Leinster seem well stocked with talented youngsters. He's good enough to play a prominent role in an AP team.

Dan leavy is supposed to be the next big thing in Leinster. From what I've seen I would go along with the hype. He is a super talent. Just remains to be seen how he adapts to professional rugby but unlike many 7s size shouldn't be a problem.


Jack Conan could also make an impact at 8. I saw a rumour that Leo Auva'a is going to Newcastle so that should help Conan.


CJ Stander has signed a new deal with Munster so I reckon DOC2 could be leaving. He would be just what Connacht need. A big, strong backrow. They should also look at Dom Ryan to beef up their pack or even Conan.

Surprised CJ resigned, doesnt look like Penney rates him too highly.

I'm surprised at that too, especially with Copeland coming in - looked a good player Stander though, its just strange how little opportunity he's had. That said Coughlan probably hasn't that much rugby ahead of him at the top level.

There are some very good back rowers around, wouldn't mind seeing a couple move North to be honest. Assuming Hendo is a lock, Ulster don't have that much depth really.

Golden wrote:Surprised CJ resigned, doesnt look like Penney rates him too highly.

Did he re-sign or resign?

GunsGerms wrote:

Golden wrote:Surprised CJ resigned, doesnt look like Penney rates him too highly.

Did he re-sign or resign?

Funny that, now that you brought it up. Never looked at the word like that before.... but it is strange that a word meaning to 'leave employment' used 're' and 'sign' to explain it.

SecretFly wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

Golden wrote:Surprised CJ resigned, doesnt look like Penney rates him too highly.

Did he re-sign or resign?

Funny that, now that you brought it up.  Never looked at the word like that before.... but it is strange that a word meaning to 'leave employment' used 're' and 'sign' to explain it.

It's because in Latin the prefix re- can mean again or it can mean back/reverse

ChequeredJersey wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

Golden wrote:Surprised CJ resigned, doesnt look like Penney rates him too highly.

Did he re-sign or resign?

Funny that, now that you brought it up.  Never looked at the word like that before.... but it is strange that a word meaning to 'leave employment' used 're' and 'sign' to explain it.

It's because in Latin the prefix re- can mean again or it can mean back/reverse

Well, yes but it's still awkward as you don't actually un-sign anything when you 'resign' - but you probably do do a little re-signing (documentation) to make it official ..... or am I just being pedantic now?  Yes, Fly - yes you are.

But in the original Latin Signare means "to seal" (with the secondary extension of sealing uourself to a contract etc) and resignare to "unseal" or reverse the seal (extended to unsealing from a contract, the concept of a contract requiring renewal is more modern and post dates the use of the words). The word predates the concept. What's weird is the use of resignation as a word for the acceptance of the inevitable

Sin é wrote:Some insight from his coach:


Foley tips O’Mahony to become world class

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

With one world class Irish player about to bow out at the end of the season, there’s another long-term Irish star in the making, according to Anthony Foley, the Munster forwards and Irish Wolfhounds coach.

“He’s his own man, I can tell you that. I’ve known Peter since he was 19, he came through when I was coaching the 20s, he went on through the Academy and the A system as well and he has always been a leader, the guy that others gravitate towards when they’re out on the pitch.”

“Amazing,” said Foley of that try. “He carried the ball into two or three players and came out the other side to get over the line. The sheer power of the man, the sheer determination to keep running and fighting was amazing.

“He got a bang early in the game, was limping for most of it, but he just kept going.”

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/foley-tips-omahony-to-become-world-class-256781.html

Thanks for that Sin. There is no doubt that O'Mahony is mentally very tough. That is a hugely important part of being a rugby player. There is more in my opinion to the mental side of a game than being mentally tough. Being intellegent at how you approach every situation is also a big part. Maybe this comes with experience. I'm not calling him unintellegent (most rugby players are fairly smart) but he isnt any where near as crafty as any of the greats, Richards, McCaw, Dallaglio etc.

It is all very well being aggressive and tapping into your emotion but sometimes in ireland I feel we place too much importance on this at the expense of having a cool head when the appropriate moment arises. I think sometimes if we were a little smarter we would reap more rewards.

To give him credit I watched some clips of the Ireland NZ game that focussed on him and he has improved at clearing out rucks and was pretty effective that day.

Your opening sentence "Foley tips O’Mahony to become world class" sort of sums up the source of my ambivalence to him. In many ways O'Mahony is the most hyped young forward in Ireland and while everyone is saying he will be world class maybe this prompts posters like me to scrutanise his efforts even more. Hopefully he wont be the next Luke Fitz.