For Munster fans, the dream goes to the back-burner.
It’s been quite a thrill for them, watching one of their great heroes light up the French coaching ranks and in fairness, you couldn’t blame them for putting two and two together.
Two and two made five here though, Ronan O’Gara having signed a three year contract which will extend his French adventure, keeping him at La Rochelle until the year 2024.
As part of the new deal, O’Gara, who is having a tremendous season with La Rochelle, will replace the departing Jono Gibbes as the club’s director of rugby. A busy couple of years lie in store for O’Gara, who will also have full responsibility of the club’s coaching activities with Gibbes on his way to Clermont-Auvergne.
“I am extremely proud of the confidence that La Rochelle has shown in me by appointing me at the head of the group,” O’Gara said in a statement on the club’s website. “I am obviously very excited to continue this adventure next season, but all in good time. We have important deadlines ahead of us and above all a good season to end in the best possible way.”
La Rochelle are currently sitting in second place in the Top 14 table with O’Gara’s coaching receiving praise from far and wide. The team are playing an exciting brand of rugby which O’Gara advocates and encourages.
“It’s a mind-set,” he replied when BT Sport’s Martin Bayfield asked about La Rochelle’s offloading game-plan.
“That interests me hugely. There’s a massive ruck focus in the northern hemisphere and then when you go to the Crusaders [in New Zealand] it’s K.B.A – Keep Ball Alive. And that’s something I’m interested in myself. You’ve seen tonight, in the dry conditions, you don’t even have to think about catching or passing – you can do that. So we’re trying to have speed on the passing and keeping it alive.
“There’s a risk with that, at times, but you have to weigh up the risk in reward. We were good, at times, and inaccurate, at times, but that’s the beauty of our game.”
Everyone was raving about this post-match interview from ROG, last night, and you can see why 😄 pic.twitter.com/AGCFxHbctQ
— House of Rugby (@HouseOfRugby) April 3, 2021
It’s no wonder Munster fans want their man back but for now, the dream goes on.
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