“We hate losing.”

The last time Ireland took on England at the Aviva Stadium back in 2017 a certain Peter O’Mahony announced his second coming and he hasn’t looked back since.

The Munster captain struggled to regain his place in the Ireland team that season after a long period on the sidelines with a serious knee injury, before an injury to Jamie Heaslip ahead of the England game gave him his chance.

England has already won the Six Nations and arrived in Dublin with a Grand Slam in sight. But they weren’t expecting Peter O’Mahony, who put in a man-of-the-match performance for the ages that resulted in him captaining the Lions a few short months later.

Not many players embody Ireland quite like Peter O’Mahony does. He’s a once in a generation player. His ability to rise to the occasion lift everyone else around him is unrivalled.

He puts his body on the line for the cause every week because he simply does not want to let his province or country down. The fear of letting people down drives him and Ireland on.

“Fear is always a factor for us,” O’Mahony said ahead of this weekend’s Six Nations opener

“Fear of letting people down, fear of losing. We hate losing.

“It’s always a part (of you), it’s always a little bit there that drives you on and that’s across the board for any competitive athlete, that fear of losing, fear of letting people down, fear of letting your teammates down is always there and it has to be a bit of a factor.”

But fear of losing is not enough. O’Mahony says if you don’t have “hunger”, then you’re in the wrong place.

“It’s the hunger. The hunger you have to play for Ireland. If you don’t have that, you’re not in the right place being in this group,” O’Mahony added

“That’s what drives us, having a chance to play in a green jersey. Whether it be starting or on the bench or having aspirations to do it, hopefully, in the Six Nations and beyond, that’s what drives us and drives our group.”

Roll on Saturday. What a game we’ve got on our hands.