La Rochelle Coach Aims for Irish Job after Champions Cup Victory – Ronan O’Gara Interview

Unconventional Ronan O’Gara wants to Coach Ireland

In a dramatic turn of events, Ronan O’Gara has shared his aspirations to coach the Irish Rugby team after leading La Rochelle to its second consecutive Heineken Champions Cup victory. Despite being contracted with the French side until 2027, he expressed his desire while talking on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

However, O’Gara believes that coaching his native country is a right that must be earned and acknowledged that it would benefit him if he gets an opportunity in the future. “Of course it will [stand him in good stead if he gets the Ireland job]. You’re always getting better,” stated O’Gara.

The former fly-half was celebrated for guiding an outstanding comeback from behind as they defeated Leinster by one point (27-26) at Dublin’s final game recently. The win was considered remarkable since La Rochelle had trailed by seventeen points early on.

“Because it is freshest; it is always the best, isn’t it?” said O’Gara when asked about where this victory ranked in comparison to others throughout his career.

O’ Gara’s impressive record speaks volumes of his achievements on Lansdowne Road venue playing for Ireland. He remains their second most-capped player and record points scorer having won three Triple Crowns and Grand Slam championships back in ’09. Reflecting on how proud he felt watching his team fight their way back into winning position over a strong first half spell from Leinster, Ogawa didn’t shy away from commending character displayed by both teams stating, “I am just proud of the character of the team… We don’t talk about it, but we act and there is no bigger proof in the pudding than back-to-back [European wins]. We are probably beginning to be seen as a special team and I think the boys deserve to be there.”

Despite leading La Rochelle to success, Ronan O’Gara remained humble in his victory. While praising his players for their resilience, he gave credit where due by also commending Leinster’s management and players for putting up an excellent fight.