DUBLIN (AP) — Captain Peter O’Mahony says another Six Nations title for Ireland on Saturday would mean “absolutely everything.”
All week, the Irish have been dismissing suggestions of a comedown after the rare chance of consecutive Grand Slams was extinguished last weekend by a 23-22 loss to England on a last-minute drop goal by Marcus Smith at Twickenham.
Ireland still leads the championship, and can clinch successive titles by beating or drawing with Scotland on Saturday at a sold-out Lansdowne Road.
One bonus point might be enough but that would mean waiting on the outcome of the France-England game in Lyon. Scotland also has an outside chance at the title.
But Ireland won’t want to leave anything to chance. It will want to take advantage of having family and supporters on hand to celebrate with straight after the game.
O’Mahony insisted a championship without a Grand Slam was still special. Ireland could win a fifth championship in the last 11 years, after winning only one title in the previous 28 years.
“We’re way down the list of championships won,” he said on Friday at the captain’s run
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“No one has done (back-to-back Grand Slams in the Six Nations era) because it’s so hard. You’ve got to win 10 Six Nations games in a row, win five away from home. It’s unbelievably difficult to win a game away from home in this championship, if you look at the stats across the board.
“So it’s everything to us tomorrow. Absolutely everything to us, another championship.
“It’s probably a manner of the Irish psyche, ‘Jesus, another championship,’ you know what I mean? A few years ago you’d have taken your arm and your leg off for one.
“We’re still in the same boat. We’re here to win a championship for our country. It will be very special if we win it.”