Ireland duo fume over ‘appalling’ O’Gara claims

LEADING Irish players have backed Ronan O’Gara’s after a week of dramatic developments concerning the 30-year-old out-half.

The player himself spoke publicly on the rumours — his alleged gambling debts and marital problems — which were published in a French newspaper, and would have been reassured yesterday to hear two of his teammates, Jerry Flannery and Donncha O’Callaghan, speak from the heart in support of the beleaguered number 10.

O’Gara admitted he has backed race horses since he was 18 years of age and still does so but rubbished the speculation in last Wednesday’s French sports newspaper, L’Equipe, that he was €300,000 in debt to the bookmakers. And he also spoke of the distress caused by reports that “I have been kicked out of my own house.”