O’Gara primed for ‘new season’

IT’S BEEN a soggy Spring for Munster outhalf Ronan O’Gara.

The Autumn internationals and Munster's heroic victory over Gloucester in the Heineken Cup teed up the Cork Con ace for a Six Nations campaign but Neath flanker Brett Sinkinson put paid to all that.

"Mentally it's been tough. Obviously you can do nothing about the injury, but once you're back, you can only control the controllable, and picking the team is something I can't control. The disappointment of not starting for Ireland is there, it was always gnawing in my head that I would feature at some stage. I still had to prepare most thoroughly mentally, but the fact I only featured for about 15 minutes against Wales it's hard on all the subs really.

"When the ball kicks off, the guys starting get a stress-and-energy release, but those on the bench don't, you're cooped up, watching, waiting. Against England, they were on a roll, the match was nearly over.

"It has been," and he pauses, searching for the word, settles on one, "frustrating", then pauses again.

Obviously, it was a lot more than that, and the next statement is a little more revealing. "I'm happy now that it's over, we're back in the Munster campaign. I'm looking forward to getting back on the pitch and enjoying myself again."

In rugby terms, to Ronan O'Gara Munster is home, Munster is family, Munster is where he knows he is really appreciated. "Absolutely, most comfortable, I couldn't be more comfortable, it's enjoyable now.

"In a way, this feels like a whole new season starting this weekend. We're only back since last Wednesday, ten days to prepare for the game, only one game under our belts, against Connacht on Friday night. This week it's full focus on Leicester, and it feels like the start of a new campaign. Hopefully it will be a long one, to May 25."

New campaign but old foes, Leicester, Munster's conqueror's in last year's final. Old friends too, among those foes, the live possibility of being directly opposed to livewire Lions team-mate Austin Healey.

"We get on well, actually. I think he's a class player. A bit controversial, and some people mightn't like that, but on his day he's a hell of a player. When he strikes, he really strikes. The problem is knowing his best position, he could play anywhere really, a terrific all-rounder. Definitely a major threat."

As is Ireland full-back Geordan Murphy. Does O'Gara have any particular plans to try and test his erstwhile team-mate? "I don't think you can have too much of a pre-determined pattern, just play the game, see where the space is, try to exploit it. There's no point in sticking up garryowens just for the sake of it, to test Geordan from what I've seen of him from training with him it would be meat and drink to him, to be honest. It won't even enter my head, who's playing 15 for them, just try and probe the space, that's all."

One thing most certainly not in O'Gara's head is last year's loss. Bitter more recent experience, bitter lesson. "Life moves on too quickly, everything can change in a month, a week, never mind a year. Last year? Dead and buried."