“This is actually unprecedented ” – Shane Horgan on Ronan O’Gara’s coaching appointment

It doesn't really happen.

New Zealand aren't half bad at this whole rugby malarky, and that's from the bottom up. They have the best youth structure, the best coaching, the best facilities and the best team in the world. There's a little bit of arrogance there, they know they're the best and know people go to New Zealand to learn to be the best coach. So, when there is a foreigner appointed as a coach it never goes down well, why would you get someone that isn't from New Zealand to coach when they're the best? Unless you're Ronan O'Gara, everything about what he has done to this point defies the odds. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/934003913757548544 The former Ireland fly-half went to Racing Metro and became a defence coach. After impressing so much he was personally sought after by Crusaders as a backs coach and it hasn't gone unnoticed. Former international teammate Shane Horgan was asked about O'Gara's new job on RTÉ when sitting beside the man himself and he put it all into context:

"This is actually unprecedented what has occurred here," the former Leinster player said. "There are a lot of foreign coaches that have gone to New Zealand, they’ve paid to go there and they’ve gone there to upskill. "Ronan has been sought out to teach the New Zealanders. "It is the home of rugby, the home of rugby coaching. Canterbury, within that, are the most sophisticated coaches in New Zealand and they want Ronan to teach them. "It shows the sort of esteem he is held in, I’m absolutely delighted for him and he’s going to come back and contribute, hopefully to Irish rugby at some stage and be an even better coach than he is now."

Brent Pope is from New Zealand, he'd know the ins and out of how it would have been received over there and admits that it has gone down well including with New Zealand legend Richie McCaw:

"I was talking to my father and he said the news has been welcomed out there," he said on RTÉ. "As Shane said, it is unusual that people weren’t saying ‘Why did they have to go out and get someone' so that’s the mark of respect they have for Ronan. "Richie McCaw came out last week and said he supported the move."

Keep on doing what you're ROG, it's working well.