Columns - Irish Examiner

Ronan O’Gara

An Irish rugby legend and record‑setting out‑half turned elite coach with La Rochelle. A prominent pundit known for frank, compelling, agenda-setting analysis.

Ireland v Scotland - Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship

S Ronan O'Gara: Scots jigsaw has missing piece, but Ireland built around Bundee

Watching the Ireland-England game last Saturday made me appreciate the importance of the IRFU hanging onto to prize assets like Aki

Sun, 09 Feb, 2025

Caelan Doris and Simon Easterby 21/1/2025

S Ronan O'Gara: Don't pass comment on alligator's teeth until you're safely across the riverbank

Six Nations kick-off - can Ireland set the tone? In rugby terms, France are the one side capable of beating the champions in Dublin. The others won’t do that at the moment

Fri, 31 Jan, 2025

Northampton Saints v Munster - Investec Champions Cup Pool 3

S Ronan O'Gara: Munster in La Rochelle will be magic. But it will have to wait

The intrepid have nothing on the Munster supporter who needs to find a way across land and sea to get to a European Cup game.

Thu, 23 Jan, 2025

Leinster v La Rochelle - Investec Champions Cup Quarter-Final

S Ronan O'Gara: Time for a hug? Tough love doesn’t work on everybody

Ronan O'Gara opens up about the challenges of coaching La Rochelle, balancing tough love with rebuilding confidence as his team struggles through a tough patch

Sun, 12 Jan, 2025

2024/2025 Investec Champions Cup European Rugby Challenge Cup Launch 15/10/2024

S Ronan O'Gara: Park Vannes. We are going to sink or swim in Bath

Right now, where we are idling, I’d bite anyone’s hand off for a big performance on Friday night against Bath at The Rec.

Fri, 06 Dec, 2024

S Ronan O'Gara: An arm around the shoulder or kick up the backside?

With the decision to draft in Sam Prendergast for the second of the autumn internationals, Irish rugby’s favourite blood sport is off to the races – who’s our best 10 option looking ahead to the next World Cup.

Fri, 15 Nov, 2024

S Ronan O'Gara: This isn’t about spite. It's about whose rugby is better, Ireland’s or New Zealand’s

Dublin might, only might, be the most significant challenge for New Zealand on this tour. But Scott Robertson knows the next autumn series that really matters to him is in 2027 in Australia.

Listen | Fri, 08 Nov, 2024

Ronan O'Gara exclusive: Munster love remains but that doesn't mean I'll ever coach there

These are turbulent times, but the solution for their next head coach is already in the building with a combo of Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy. Logic, never mind history, tell us that most good No 1’s start as No 2’s or 3’s.

Fri, 01 Nov, 2024

S Ronan O'Gara: Having a nutty over the worst defeat of my coaching career? What's the point

Last Saturday in San Sebastian wasn't bad. It was humiliating. So what happens next?

Fri, 18 Oct, 2024

Ronan O'Gara with the media after the game 13/4/2024

S Ronan O'Gara: Measuring the time it takes to haul yourself out of the doldrums

How we unravelled at the end of last season fed into a hard truth that never left me –we were not properly at the pace of the game all season. That’s a big statement and it’s on me too

Fri, 06 Sep, 2024