CHARLIE MULQUEEN: Another huge call from coach whose job now hangs in the balance
To the shock of the rugby world, one of Ireland’s greatest players has been omitted from an extended 32-man squad to prepare for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France at the Aviva Stadium.
Instead, Declan Kidney, the man who has mentored O’Gara since his earliest days at Presentation Brothers Cork, has included three out-halves; Paddy Jackson, who made such a nervous international debut against Scotland last week; the uncapped Ian Madigan and Jonny Sexton, in the hope that the regular No 10 recovers from his hamstring injury in time.
It was yet another massive call by Kidney coming on the back of removing the captaincy from Brian O’Driscoll and the selection of the untried Jackson against the Scots. There is a general acceptance that both backfired.
When O’Gara enjoyed a good game for Munster against the Ospreys on Saturday night it seemed as if he had done enough to at least retain his Ireland place.
Kidney’s decision is all the more surprising on that count and represents a massive gamble. If he wishes to see his contract extended beyond the summer tour of the United States and Canada, the national head coach desperately needs to complete the Six Nations with wins over France and Italy.
Dropping O’Gara in the circumstances has to be seen as a very brave call and is also one that would have caused him a huge amount of soul searching. It certainly would have been with a heavy heart that he picked up the phone and informed O’Gara he was now surplus to requirement.
Kidney has often been criticised for a perceived conservatism and for not choosing players on current form. That is patently not the case now. with Jackson performing well for Ulster on Friday when Madigan shone for Leinster. Perhaps even more importantly, they have youth on their side — Jackson is 21 and Madigan’s 24th birthday falls on March 21.
It now remains to be seen how O’Gara handles this news.
He has stressed that he doesn’t wish to retire at the end of this season but that would depend largely on having his contract extended by the IRFU. If he was demoted to a provincial deal with Munster, he might well be tempted to call it a day.
If this is indeed the end of the international road for O’Gara, the certainty is that he will be fondly remembered by all rugby fans who remember the many great moments he enjoyed in the green jersey and the matches he won for his country thanks to a remarkable rugby brain, the ability to read a game with an innate instinct possessed by very few out-halves and, of course, that famous right boot of his.
