Bad start turned into a great friendship.
Ronan O’Gara and Stephen Ferris became really good mates after playing with each other, for Ireland and the Lions, over six years.
As a blindside, Ferris often played protector, and road-clearer, for O’Gara while the outhalf was renowned for rewarding dominant packs with his intelligent kicking game.
However, the pair’s first encounter did not hint at the close relationship they would form away from the pitch.
In his book, Man and Ball, Ferris recounts a frisson-filled clash between his Ulster and O’Gara’s Munster in December 2005. Ulster were 20-10 up when Ferris – then aged 20 – came off the bench. He writes:
Munster are awarded a penalty, five metres from our line. I sit in our defensive line and get ready to hit a red shirt. Dennis Leamy walks up to the ball, lifts picks it up and, glaring at me, says, “I’m going to fucking run over you.”
I figure he is going to take a quick tap and try run over me.
“Fucking come on then.”
They kick to the corner instead.
We keep them out and get the ball down to the other end of the pitch.
I manage to make a big carry, gaining us some ground, but Munster eventually turn us over. Ronan O’Gara kicks in behind us, then, with me chasing back, grabs me by the scruff of my neck.
“You’re a fucking young cunt,” he snarls. “You don’t even know anything about rugby. You think you’re the big man but you’re not. You’re a nobody.”
He pushes me and I push back.
I try to square up to him but, in reality, I am quaking.
‘Oh shit, this is Ronan O’Gara.’
That is Ronan, though. He is a different man once he crosses that white line. A real, competitive animal.
David Wallace got over for another Munster try, to make it 20-17, but spurned a penalty chance in front of the posts to press for a win.
Ulster, and Ferris, held tough and won the game. They went on to claim the Celtic League by seasons’ end.
Ferris and O’Gara played together for Ireland a little over a year later.
On Six Nations duty in 2012.The retired Ulster back-row said, at his Tuesday book launch, that O’Gara and Paul O’Connell are the two players – outside of Ulster – that he most enjoyed playing with.
“They are two of the toughest competitors I ever played with.
“ROG couldn’t be a nicer guy away from the pitch. People think he is a twat off the pitch too… He’s a good fella.”
*Man and Ball: My Autobiography is available and in stores now
