Unshakeable,unflappable ... and content
A lot of people don’t know this, but when Munster finally won the European Heineken Cup a couple of weeks ago, it was actually the second such triumph for half-back partners Ronan O’Gara and Peter Stringer.
Not as much hype about it, but many moons ago, wearing different jerseys but the same numbers, O’Gara and Stringer were on the Cork Con Under-12 team that won the European club championship; Cardiff then, the Millennium Stadium, was just old hat, right?
O’Gara smiles at the suggestion, but then he’s been smiling a lot lately. Triple Crown with Ireland, European champions with Munster, tour of New Zealand/Australia kicking-off; O’Gara is in the zone, accepted as one of the top out-halves in world rugby.
It’s been a long time coming, too long. 12 months ago the Lions were in New Zealand; O’Gara was playing well, well enough, in the opinion of those who watch closely enough, to have been the Test out-half, given that Jonny Wilkinson was less than 100% fit. Well enough in O’Gara’s own, self-critical opinion.
“I was happy with the way I was playing, but sometimes you have to sit and twiddle your thumbs, hope you get your chance; sometimes that chance doesn’t come. The most important thing is that you’re happy with your own form and I was; different coaches see things different ways.
“Other people were in the same boat as me, felt the Test team was picked before we went out. I wouldn’t have any problems with that now, I’ve moved on, achieved what I wanted to achieve, winning the European Cup.”
He’s never been short on confidence. Not when, as a callow teenager, he made the senior side at Con, took control immediately, dictated the shape of the game to far more experienced friend and foe alike; not when, in a hotly-contested U-21 international on a wind and rain-lashed evening in Scotland, he picked himself up time after time after another heavy hit to kick Ireland to victory from hand and sod; not even when he missed the kick that could have won Munster this Heineken Cup way back in 2000.
Mental strength, that’s the key. Ronan O’Gara isn’t arrogant, but he’s not ah-shucks, dishonestly modest either. He’s intelligent, cool under pressure, tough, brave, an outstanding decision-maker on a rugby pitch; he can be knocked down, knocked out even, but not knocked off his stride. Nothing shakes that inner confidence and it’s at an all-time high.
“I’m delighted, yeah, couldn’t be happier. You’re always looking for perfection but that’s not going to happen at this level; for the last six months I’ve been delighted with my form. Sometimes you have to stand back and look at the improvements you’ve made, and there’s always that little bit more you can do; you keep striving for that. Hopefully there’s a few good years left in me, and at the end of it, I should be pretty content.”
Even to his critics, that current good form must be obvious. After the heavy loss to New Zealand last November, O’Gara was one of a number of Irish players slated for their performance; unfair criticism, he reckons. Missing Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell, trying to implement a new game-plan, these were major factors in that defeat.
“You can replace the two lads in terms of playing ability but presence is a huge thing in sport, leadership often underestimated; Paul is obviously the leader of the pack, Brian the leader of the backs. I felt there was a big void there. A lot of responsibility fell on my shoulders; against a quality, world-class team it’s hard to carry that, and perform all your other duties. Fellas came in and did fine but you can’t do without your best players in top-level sport, and they are our best players, we need them.”
And the new game-plan? “Before the autumn Tests there was a belief we needed to become a bit more unpredictable in our play. We tried but it didn’t show in those games.
“I know you can say it was because we were playing to instructions but that wasn’t necessarily the case, we tried to play it as we saw it, just didn’t execute very well.”
Nevertheless it did look like the on-field decision-making, a major O’Gara strength, was taken out of his hands, in that New Zealand test. “Maybe,” he concedes, “But since then that was one of the lessons learned; a coach’s role is all very well during the week but come matchday, you have to trust your own instincts and that’s what happened in every game in the 6 Nations, in the European Cup games also.
“You have to look, see what’s in front of you, play it as you see it, play off the cuff.”
At this stage then it would be fair to say that the out-half is in control, on the field?
“Absolutely, you have to be; I would agree with you that in the past I was playing a bit to team strategies and things like that, but nowadays if there’s something to be changed, I will change it, and I’m happy to live with those decisions.”
First test against New Zealand is next Saturday; a huge challenge for Ireland, one that will show the rugby world whether or not the 6 Nations performances were for real, or just flash-in-the-pan, good days against inferior sides.
For this Irish side, no illusions. “Last November was a most disappointing performance. We’ve played New Zealand plenty of other times, they’ve been good close games, maybe at the end they got away. Playing them with the Lions, with Ireland on tour a few years ago, those were good hard games. It’s tough, but they’re the best, that’s what you want to measure yourself against, see where you are.”
Can this Ireland team boldly go where no Ireland team ever went before, win a test against the All-Blacks?
“I think we can, yeah, but you have to be realistic and accept it has to be in the first test; if you don’t beat them then it will probably be beyond you in the second game. You get one chance, the first test; the amazing thing about them, when they put on the All-Blacks jersey, they play like men possessed. You look at them in Super 14, they’re making errors, but that doesn’t seem to happen with the All-Blacks. They’re not supermen, but they seem to perform better as a unit, that jersey means something; it’s the same when we put on the red jersey or should I say, the green jersey!”
Understandable slip, Ronan was still in the process of changing from Munster mode to international. Now, if only they can carry over the same form. “I think there’s plenty of confidence in our team. Our forwards are strong, our backs are really good. We kind of went through the 6 Nations in third gear. We have to try improve that, but if we can click, there should be some exciting times ahead.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
