PETER O’Mahony could make a dramatic return to Munster colours for one of the most anticipated matches of their season — a last-16 Champions Cup showdown with La Rochelle at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre this Saturday evening, April 5 (5:30pm BST).
The veteran flanker, who bowed out of international rugby last month after this year’s the Six Nations, has not played for Munster since January. But his presence at training this week has raised hopes he may yet feature in what promises to be a key contest in France. O’Mahony has said he will retire from professional club rugby at the end of this season.
Munster will need every ounce of experience they can muster to overcome a La Rochelle side chasing a third consecutive European crown. Coached by Ronan O’Gara since 2019, the French outfit are a formidable force in the Champions Cup, lifting the trophy in 2022 and 2023 before falling to Leinster in last year’s semi-final. And of late, their form has fallen off slightly and are currently lying at no. 10 in France’s Top 14 Table.
O’Gara’s ties to Munster — where he won two Heineken Cups and remains the province’s record points scorer — have added a compelling emotional subplot to an already heavyweight contest. The Cork man has previously knocked his native province out of Europe and will be eager to do so again on home turf, though he remains deeply respectful of the jersey he once wore with pride.
Munster come into the game buoyed by a 30024 United Rugby Championship win over Connacht at McHale Park in Castlebar last weekend, a match that saw several key players return to action. Scrum-half Craig Casey made his first appearance since undergoing knee surgery in December and came through unscathed. Front-row trio Niall Scannell, Oli Jager and Jean Kleyn also returned, bolstering Graham Rowntree’s options up front ahead of what will likely be a punishing forward battle against the powerful French pack.
However, flanker John Hodnett is a doubt after picking up a thigh contusion against Connacht, while O’Mahony’s availability will depend on how he responds to the week’s training load.
La Rochelle, meanwhile, have had a patchier season by their own lofty standards and will be without captain Grégory Alldritt, who is recovering from knee surgery. Nonetheless, they remain packed with firepower across the pitch, including Springbok lock Will Skelton and Fijian winger Levani Botia.
For Munster, Saturday’s fixture represents both a huge challenge and a golden opportunity. Knockout wins on French soil have been rare in recent years. With leaders like Tadhg Beirne, Gavin Coombes, and potentially O'Mahony in the ranks, they will not lack for belief.. Victory here would send a serious signal to the rest of Europe.
But they are playing in a rugby-mad city in a rugby-mad area of France. La Rochelle are renowned for their fervent fans, so travelling Munster supporters will need all their fervour to sing “Stand Up And Fight” at the top of their voices.
Irish eyes will be watching closely, not just for the storyline of O’Mahony’s potential return, but for the tantalising clash of identities: O’Gara’s French juggernaut against the red tide of Munster — a province he helped define, now standing in his way.
See More: Champions Cup, La Rochelle, Munster, Peter O'Mahony, Rugby
