O’Gara still has Plenty to offer

Simon Lewis

That was pretty much the way it worked out for Ronan O’Gara too.

While Dallaglio left the field against Bay Of Plenty on June 4 with a dislocated ankle, Munster and Ireland fly-half O’Gara has been toiling away in the touring twilight zone, relegated to fourth choice No.10, seemingly off Clive Woodward’s radar following missed tackles which brought his defensive capabilities into question.

O’Gara feels he has been forced onto the back foot since that Saturday night in Rotorua, having to drag

himself back to a place where he can once again be placed on level pegging with his outside-half colleagues Jonny Wilkinson, Stephen Jones and Charlie Hodgson.

“I put my hand up. I missed one tackle which was unacceptable,” said O’Gara following his impressive display in the 17-13 win against Auckland at Eden Park yesterday.

“He got me a good hand-off and that happens and it will happen again. I’m not a big hitter and I usually do make my leg tackles. The other two were more system errors, not being familiar with Martyn Williams in our first game together, for instance, you’re going to make mistakes.

“Obviously it didn’t go down well in some ranks and ever since I’ve been trying to get back. My displays have been good since then and it’s just been a case of Clive knowing who he wanted to play in the Tests. That’s just the way it has gone.

“That would frustrate me if I wasn’t playing well but I’ve been playing well in the midweek games and I think I should be putting pressure on these Test people. That’s just my competitive nature. I’m capable of performing at Test level.”

O’Gara certainly did everything within his powers against Auckland yesterday to push his case ahead of the selection process for this weekend’s final Test against the All Blacks.

With Wilkinson struggling with a shoulder injury, O’Gara said he and Hodgson had been told they would be given a half each at Eden Park, presumably, he thought, to fight it out for a bench spot behind Jones.

Hodgson failed to complete his stint in the opening period and the Munster man was called into action from the 22nd minute after the Sale fly-half was forced to retire with breathing difficulties following a bash across the nose from Auckland hooker Semisi Telefoni.

O’Gara took the opportunity well, slotting over three penalties, missing only the one conversion and again showing the Lions selectors he has as safe a boot as anyone when it comes to tactical kicking.

“I don’t think I would have let the team down if I had been picked,” O’Gara added, “and I think Clive knows that too but it’s just a case of trying to get the opportunity.

“It only comes round every four years and there’s so much at stake. You’d love to get a crack at the All Blacks but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.”