Ronan O'Gara considering his future in France following attacks in Paris
YOU try to get on with it. Staying normal. When you get to the Racing training base at Robinson, there’s comfort in that bubble.
But on the quiet early morning streets of Paris, I’m not going to lie. You slow down coming into every junction, or heading into anything you don’t have full sight of.
On Wednesday morning I gave up trying to go through the training session over and over in the short hours. Saint-Denis was all over the radio. People on the streets were either moving very cautiously. Or very quickly.
When you suit up for work, you focus but this isn’t an elephant in the corner of the room we are trying to ignore.
This is war and terrorism and the slaughtering of innocents in neighbourhoods we can relate to.
This is like fellas going down Oliver Plunkett Street with a Kalashnikov or machine gun and mowing down people going about their lives.
If you were standing beside it, watching it, you’d struggle to believe it. You’d think it had to be part of a movie scene.
The former au pair Jess and I had with us in Paris was a regular visitor to the Bataclan. It’s a happening spot for the young crowd.
The Stade Francais hooker, Remi Bonfils, was either in or had just left the Le Carillon restaurant when the shooting started. He’s receiving counselling now.
Of course, there’s part of every day when the mind can stay focused on rugby, but even then it’s all the players talk about all day, every day.
Jessica is a bit scared too. Five children. Away from home. Probably yearning for Cork. This whole episode has us looking homewards again. Am I rattled? Damn right I am.
This is too random. It keeps going around in my head now, my future here in Paris. Let’s see how the next few weeks pans out. You’d have to consider everything after what has happened.
We won’t be going into central Paris for the foreseeable future. That much is certain. And we are not alone in adopting that safety-first approach.
That’s why I knew the Stade Francais-Munster game would not go ahead. It was just too soon. They really don’t know how many of these terrorist cells are out there at the moment.
You focus all the security on the Stade de France or Stade Francais’ home, the Stade Jean Bouin, and that just opens up an avenue somewhere else for them.
Friday night was an awful stomach-heaving experience. I was out at a charity dinner and away from the family. It was horrendous. My mum and dad were there with Jess but the sense of helplessness is overpowering.
I wasn’t alone in feeling that way. Then there are moments when it all seems like it’s taking place on a different continent instead of across town.
Come last Saturday morning, we were still preparing for a game against Glasgow Warriors, though realising deep down there was no way the Champions Cup game could proceed.
Champions Cup in limbo as leagues attempt to solve fixtures furore https://t.co/tyRKIOdDew (RMC) pic.twitter.com/3Jr1quveIC
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) November 19, 2015
We knew it was not going to happen, but you can’t switch officially off until the postponement is confirmed. You just don’t know what to do.
Preparing for the Scarlets game this weekend is different. The way we see it we are flying out of a high risk zone to a place of tranquility. Rugby players can live with giants tearing down the pitch at them, looking to capsize them. These lads know how to handle themselves. But street warfare, with bombs and kalashnikovs...then you’ve no chance.
Around the office at Racing this week, there was a lot of discussions ongoing about rearranging the lost Champions Cup game against Glasgow. Other Top 14 teams are in the same boat.
The suggestion at the moment is using one of the Top 14 weekends in the middle of January for European back-games. Either way they must get played.
Racing’s game against Toulouse at the end of this month was to be played at the Stade de France, with Dan Carter being officially unveiled. That game will not be played at the national stadium now. Discussions are ongoing about the fixture itself.
Amid the uncertainty, it’s good to have Wales to focus on. Scarlets will be frustrated to lose at Northampton in Round One. They had chances.
I could give you chapter and verse on every one. I don’t think I’ve ever analysed a video as intently. It helped me stay in the rugby bubble.
Normality was sustained at home in Ireland. Applying that word to Leinster last Sunday seems erroneous, but you understand what I mean. Leo Cullen was missing four key backs at home to Bath, but it’s the way they crumbled going backwards that will concern the new coach the most.
Only a short time into his tenure, Cullen is facing a critical test at The Rec. Everyone should reserve judgement until we see how Leinster front up against Bath. With back-to-back games following against Toulon, Leinster must make their statement now.
Munster got the start they needed against Treviso, then went very average for 50 minutes before revving up for a good 20-minute finale. But there’s buckets of improvement to go if they are thinking of threatening in the Champions Cup.
Peter O’Mahony’s loss is long-term and it’s hard to overstate. That’s made them very reliant on CJ Stander. It’ll be interesting to see what Tyler Blyendaal brings when he returns.
Ulster and Saracens can do more than rugby a favour by starting Round 2 off tonight with a humdinger in Belfast. Saracens were hungry and efficient in dismantling Toulouse, turning a huge percentage of their possession into points.
Mark McCall will have pin-pointed tonight as a seminal moment in this pool but they are not sufficiently ahead of Ulster to turn them over on their own patch. It would be too much of a hammerblow for the Ulster players not to get over the line in this one.
There’s nothing much on the line for Neil Doak... except everything they stand for.
Playing at home for your province against English teams. Friday night lights.
If the dander isn’t up for that one, it never will be. Irish provincial rugby has chiselled its reputation out of emerging triumphant on such cold winter nights.
It’s part of what we are.
