Ronan O’Gara - Deserving of all accolades

Last night’s testimonial dinner in honour of Ronan O’Gara was an acknowledgment by all present of his magnificent contribution to Munster and Irish rugby over his 17 years as a thorough professional.

It was a pity that he was not allowed to end his playing days with Ireland on the field, so the wider public could have shown their appreciation. With 1,083 points, he is the all time leading scorer for Ireland.

Everybody who witnessed the event can probably still remember the cool way in which he slotted over the drop goal in the dying seconds against Wales to win Ireland’s first Grand Slam in over 60 years. For that alone he would have become a legend, but there was so much more.