While we were all knee-deep in the Prendergast-Crowley debate, and gushing at the incredible return of Dan Sheehan, there wasn't a word all week for Peter O’Mahony.
The Ireland coaches rarely make it to their team announcement without some details slipping through the cracks, but the return of the Munster man to Ireland's team for Sunday's game against Scotland (live on RTÉ2 and RTE Player) hadn't been telegraphed.
A tough run of injuries this season stunted the 35-year-old's campaign so far, playing just five times for Munster, and although he featured off the bench three times in the Autumn Nations Series, he’s been preferred to Ryan Baird and Jack Conan at blindside flanker for what will be his first Test start since Ireland’s opening Test in South Africa last summer.
It feels appropriate that the veteran back row comes in. Ireland-Scotland games are always a bit spicier when he’s involved.
Seventeen months ago, he earned his 100th cap as Ireland walloped the Scots in their final pool game of the Rugby World Cup. O’Mahony was at his belligerent best that day, stealing two lineouts in the 36-14 hammering in Paris, and winding the opposition up to the point of distraction.
There’s plenty of bad blood between these two sides, and O’Mahony has played his part in creating that divide, in large part down to his TV comments shortly after the final whistle after that World Cup game.
"They were in the press beforehand saying they were going to knock us off and end our streak, how they figured us out and worked us out. I don’t think they did, to be honest with you," he said, with a withering delivery.
Having lost 10 times in a row in this fixture, Gregor Townsend’s side aren't lacking motivation this weekend, but the sight of O’Mahony’s name on the teamsheet will have been fuel on the fire from a Scottish perspective. For those traveling to Murrayfield this weekend, consider the RefMic earpiece a compulsory purchase.
When Ireland hosted Scotland in March of last year, it was an especially emotional outing for the former Lions captain. Still mulling over whether or not to retire, O’Mahony was even more emotional than usual before and after the game, but ultimately chose to come back for one more campaign – at least.
"He clearly loves being around the group, he loves wearing an Irish jersey," Easterby said of O’Mahony, after restoring him to the starting team this week.
"He’s done it to one of the best standards in his position over the years, that any Irish player has done. He loves being around camp because I think it just makes him feel a little bit younger than he is!
"He just has that ability, doesn't he, to play big when it's needed. He had the edge around him in training last week when he wasn't involved, he brought a lot of competition into the group for those that were starting."
The 35-year-old's position in the Irish team is no longer a given, but Ireland’s interim head coach was quick to stress that his importance to the squad isn't limited to the pitch.
"He’s so sociable, he’s one that won’t disappear off to his room, he’ll make sure that he’s in and around the group, so he knows how he can impact the group, whether he’s involved or not.
"I think that for me has been one of his biggest strengths, how over a period of time he’s cut the bulls**t and just gone, 'This is what I am, I’m going to be myself and I’m going to add as much as I can to this group’.
"And I think over the last four or five years we’ve seen the best of him, beyond his 30-years plus, we’ve probably seen the best of Pete. Not just in terms of on the pitch, because he hasn't played as much, but in terms of the way he's been around the group, and the way he has brought other players through and given confidence to other people."
While the off-pitch impact is important, he’s more than a vibes man in this Irish team. A defensive lineout specialist, he’s played a key role in neutering the Scottish lineout in recent meetings between the pair, and Easterby says his ability to get off the ground and create a contest in the air was a major factor in his inclusion.
"Pete is also an expert in that area of the game [lineout]. He has that ability of being able to read situations, he's quick into the air.
"We're fortunate, we've got a couple of very good defensive lineout players in the squad, Bairdo [Ryan Baird] being one, Pete being another expert in that area and it’s a point of difference for him.
"It is a really important factor in the game. If you take away the type of quality possession or at least disrupt it to the extent we did against England, it puts us on the front foot.
"I think their success rate is pretty good and we know that having someone like Ryan or Pete in there is going to add to the ability for us to disrupt it.
"They’ll be finding ways to try and play around that and might decide to go with short lineouts and try effect our momentum a little bit. There’s plenty for us to deal with and have to get right ourselves to make sure we take away their threats," Easterby added.
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