O’Gara milestone ‘just a number’
It’s a hugely significant achievement, coming as it does only six seasons after his first cap against Scotland. In that time, he has scored a record total of 594 points: eight tries, 113 penalties, 94 conversions and nine drop goals.
All of Ireland will be hoping he not alone adds appreciably to that total but also continues to play with the style and composure that have made him a key man for his province and country.
“We have a game like Saturday’s every season so it’s not a stand-out in that regard,” he says.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a big game with a Triple Crown at stake and it would be a good way to end our international season. There’s no better stage on which to perform. There are always points to prove but it’s not a bitter point to prove and never has been.
“Trying to win means a lot to me and I suppose I’m a bit of a perfectionist. There are always bits of the game I’m not happy with and areas of the field we can improve in.
“There were times when I was just happy to play for Ireland but that’s not the case any more. It has to be a winning team, a team I feel can challenge.
“It’s the same with Munster, if I feel the ambition isn’t there then I’d have to consider where I should play. But at the moment there are class players in both teams and my objective is the same as theirs. I want to achieve things while I can.
“I live my life day to day. I see my good friend Frankie [Sheahan] and the situation he’s in. I’ve seen Christian Cullen, Alan Quinlan, Mike Mullins, people like that. Your whole rugby world could be ripped apart by a bad injury. I don’t know what next week holds, never mind next season, so I just appreciate the now to be honest.”
O’Gara realises Ireland’s fate on Saturday could be decided by whether or not he takes his penalty chances. There was a time when failure might have upset him and he ruefully recalls the 2000 Heineken Cup final against Northampton at Twickenham, when two well-struck second-half penalties flew inches wide.
Had either gone over Munster would have been European champions but he’s learned to live with that and is no doubt buoyed by the many, many others that have found the target.
“The best thing I learned from the disappointment of Northampton is that you address it and learn something from it,” he mused. “If you brush it under the carpet, it will come back to haunt you some day. As difficult as it was for a young person, it’s important you take those things on the chin and move on.
"Two years ago at Twickenham, I rattled the post on the 22 and about five or ten yards to the right but I couldn’t miss for the rest of the day. So one good memory of the place, and another not so good.”
Being the pivotal figure on the field, there is of course a lot more to O’Gara’s game than place kicking.
Tactically there are very few to touch him, while his outstanding distribution sees him stand out as a playmaker. The scales indicate he is a pound over 13 stone and while he doesn’t look it, he’s not afraid to throw himself into the tackle or do his stuff on the ground.
He would like to see Ireland capitalise on the chances they are creating and is clearly fascinated by the implications for England of their awful display against France.
“I have never seen them play as poorly,” he admits. “To be fair to France, they put pressure on teams to concede scores, as they did against us and England, but England never got back into the game, which was surprising with the quality of people they have.
"But New Zealand were the last team to beat them at Twickenham and that was by one score. Actually, I think it’s all about us on Saturday, that we have the belief in the people around us, that we don’t rely on England to play poorly, that we play well and then it’s game on.”
As for Andy Goode being his direct opponent rather than Charlie Hodgson, O’Gara rationalised: “Charlie’s probably not a big loss to them the way he’s been playing.
"He under-performed against Scotland and France so I presumed Goode was going to play this week anyway. My objectives are about me and my team and I’m not too worried about what’s happening with the other side.
“At this level, you have to vary your game and one of the big improvements for Ireland in the Six Nations is that we have become a little unpredictable. There are different focuses to our attacks and people don’t know what we’re going to do. There are areas where we can keep them guessing.”
O’Gara may consider Saturday “just another game” but it does set him thinking how reaching the milestone of 60 caps was the last thing on his mind that day in 2000 when he helped Ireland to a 44-22 win over Scotland on his international debut.
“I’ve worked hard and time has flown. It’s been unbelievable. You’ve got to try to win as much as you can now. You can’t wait for next year. I’m 29 and that’s the only message I’d give to young fellas coming in.”
A second Triple Crown in three years would fit the bill nicely for the most important cog in the Irish machine.
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