‘It was messy’ – Peter O’Mahony hits out at delays over contract extension as he eyes final year with Munster

“It could have been done a lot quicker, yeah,” said O’Mahony, who came off a central contract and will now have his final professional year co-funded by the IRFU.

Despite winning the 2024 Six Nations title in his first full competition as captain, he spent the entire campaign unsure if he would be offered another contract.

“It was messy,” said the Cork flanker, who has won 105 Ireland caps. “Look it, if it was done 12 weeks earlier it would have been a lot easier for everyone.

“But it wasn’t and it panned out the way it did. That’s business as well. That’s the way things go. That’s part and parcel of the job.”

O’Mahony, now 34, led Munster to a URC title success last season to end a lengthy drought but, after resigning the captaincy in November, there were suggestions that he might be eased out this summer.

“Not to sound arrogant but I don’t need to state my case around here,” said O’Mahony. “I’ve played for this club for a long time now and I’ve never gone into contract negotiations saying I don’t want to stay. That’s the first thing I’d say, up front, ‘I want to stay’, ‘I want you to look after me fairly’.

“I’m delighted with the decision I made. I could have sat at home next year and regretted it. I didn’t want to have any regrets, that was the biggest thing.

“I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to be fingernails in the door stuff. This is my last contract playing professional rugby anywhere and it means I can really enjoy it now.

“I certainly have no interest in one of these long goodbyes but I can tick things off in my head as I go on next season. But hopefully there’s 10, 12 days left in this one yet.”

O’Mahony is also confident that he can resume his international career in South Africa for this summer’s three-Test tour.

“I’ve been speaking to Faz (Andy Farrell), like I always do, on a few occasions. We keep in touch but I don’t know when the squad is being named.

“But as I said to one of the lads asking me today, we’ve enough on our plate now with the weekend. I hope I’m playing well enough to get picked.”

Munster face Glasgow in Saturday’s Thomond Park URC semi-final and midfielder Alex Nankivell is poised to return for a fixture that has developed into a fierce rivalry in recent seasons.