I've too much invested in Racing to consider moving

I HAD a good sense of what was coming down the tracks for Connacht. Pat Lam’s honest explanation for leaving the province was something he had already articulated to the squad in advance of the announcement. I was down in Bordeaux all week continuing my coaching badges and had plenty of time to be putting myself in Lam’s shoes, writes Ronan O’Gara

Initial disappointment and frustration quickly turned to empathy. As a coach, you examine the work he has done, the progress he has made, the culture he has created. The reward for that work is recognition in the guise of other clubs knocking on the door. Isn’t that what we do in life? Let’s call a spade a spade: We work hard, we get better, you take a down-at-heel organisation and turn them into winners. And then you get an offer that’s hard to refuse.

Lam has reshaped Connacht’s culture, their history and how they are perceived. There’s only so many times a wealthy organisation like Bristol will call before a coach starts putting his family, his future and their long-term security first.