For Peter O'Mahony, 2014 probably represents the highs and lows of an elite sporting career.
From the high water mark of winning a Six Nations title with Ireland to the frustration of injury and surgery, the Munster captain has had an up and down year so far.
Tonight the 24-year-old was one of our special guests at the Off The Ball Roadshow at Cork's Crane Lane and confirmed that he is "on the right road" in his recovery from shoulder injuries and admitted that he is "hoping for October" in terms of a return.
The injury came at a time when O'Mahony was on top of his game, having just won the Six Nations and he remembered the high of that period.
"It my first silverware and definitely the proudest moment of my career so far," said the back row of the Six Nations triumph.
Last season was also his first as captain of Munster and he admits that he is "always learning" and spoke about how team-mate Paul O'Connell helped him settle into the role.
"(Former Munster coach) Rob [Penney] asked me to be captain. He gave me a few weeks to think about it. Obviously Paulie was the first guy I'd ring to make sure that he was okay with it and he didn't want to go ahead with it. He gave me his blessing and I took the role," said O'Mahony, who feels being a young leader in a new generation of players could be beneficial.
O'Mahony also spoke about Munster's future on new head coach Anthony 'Axel' Foley, some of the criticisms the team withstood during the Rob Penney era and also believes the province is reaping the benefit of investing in the academy.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
