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6th October 2023
12:32pm BST

"Look, it was funny, myself and Johnny [Sexton] had a conversation about it on the way to the South Africa game. Sometimes it’s weird to be in Paris and think about ‘Axel’ [Foley] and what happened. "It’s an incredibly sad memory for the Munster team who were in Paris that week. ‘Axel’ is always someone who’s in my head on a very regular basis, and when you come to Paris, what certainly comes to mind are the fondest memories we had together and the amount of inspiration that he gave not just to me but lots of young kids in Munster and Ireland."
"My first game that he coached me at Munster was an U-20 game at Thomond Park, we won it 3-0 and that suited Axel as good as if we’d won it by 60 or 70. He wanted to win for Munster at any cost. "Personally," O'Mahony added, "he meant a huge amount. He’s been there, I haven’t supported a Munster team that he wasn’t involved in. The amount he’s given the club, it can’t be calculated... The amount we’ve lost now that he’s gone, the rugby knowledge; the man, the coach and the friend, it’s huge."Saturday promises to be a poignant day for O'Mahony for a plethora of reasons such as representing his country for the 100th time, or playing their neighbouring rivals on the biggest stage of all - but playing for the memory of 'Axel' will always be at the forefront of his mind. Related links:
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