O’Gara bouncing back from Boks bombshell
Coach Declan Kidney sensationally selected young tyro Jonathan Sexton for the meeting with the Springboks, leaving O’Gara to kick his heels on the replacements bench.
The out-half admitted he had been especially anxious to face Peter de Villiers’ side in an effort to exorcise the demons of his late penalty concession which cost the Lions the second test – and the series – in Pretoria last summer.
He said: “There was one thing in my head after the summer and that was the one game I wanted to play in.
“It was the big game and the one everyone was talking about; the one I knew we were going to win. I didn’t get that opportunity and that was disappointing,” he said.
“Being dropped hurt; it was very disappointing and always is, especially if you care about the team so much.
“That has always been my mantra because I believe that if the team goes well, the 10 goes well, and I have been lucky in the last decade with so many good teams.
“Obviously if you’re going to be consistently around for 10 years, you are bound to have both sides of the coin but I have been very lucky and I’m grateful to all the teams I played with.”
But O’Gara is back in the cockpit and having impressed against Italy in the champions’ opener at Croke Park on Saturday, he aims to continue in that trend this weekend as Ireland go in search of a first win in Paris in a decade.
Central to a return to form has been his displays for Munster in their Heineken Cup Pool One campaign. And the Cork Con man was quick to heap praise on his provincial colleagues.
“After South Africa, I had a big opportunity with Munster in the Heineken Cup rounds three, four, five and six; obviously there were some individual things to look for in my game, but I’m fully aware of the platform Munster provided for getting me back (to start) with Ireland.
“Every day in training I try to improve; in Munster you have guys like Jean de Villiers, Mafs (Lifeimi Mafi) and Dougie Howlett and these guys would have an idea or two to help.”
But it was his former Munster colleague, Brian Carney, who was O’Gara’s biggest inspiration.
Carney, came to the province after a hugely successful Rugby League career and despite a relatively successful first season, quickly tumbled down the pecking order. Yet despite such knocks, his enthusiasm, professionalism and approach remained intact. And O’Gara was quick to copy that mantra in his own times of turmoil.
“I thought of Brian at the time,” said O’Gara, “because his behaviour with Munster was exceptional.
“When you get dropped you look to see where you can make improvements, look at yourself a little bit harder.
“Usually you try to blame people bar yourself and the great thing about that is that I learned a lot from a year and a half with Brian who featured for his first year with Munster then not at all; his attitude and professionalism opened my eyes to how you can succeed when things are not going your way.
“I just felt there was no need for panic but to go away and sort things out in my head and come back (stronger).”
Strength of mind will be crucial in Paris on Saturday, believes O’Gara, who is fed up with Ireland having to produce second-half challenges after conceding points early on to the French.
He is convinced Ireland can take a lead from a succession of Munster and Leinster victories in the Heineken Cup and has no worries about fear being a negative factor in the outcome.
“Fear hasn’t anything to do with it, it’s just that we have often given them too much of a head start over there; they are a formidable team when you let them play their game and they are on the front foot.
“Usually when that happened they were 20 or more points ahead of us and I don’t know if it was a question of them giving up, tiring a small bit or us getting back into it.
“But it was always too late so a good start is crucial this weekend.”
Meanwhile O’Gara has revealed that having his young family looking on from the Croke Park stands was a catalyst for Saturday’s near flawless performance against Italy.
“My wife and kids were at the game, which is always great, and explains why I played well. I felt very proud during the anthems, thinking of my son (Rua) and daughter (Molly) watching from the stands. Mind you, at 16 months I heard after that they weren’t too interested,” he wrote on his personal diary, on www.ronanogara.ie
The 32-year-old Cork man added that he found time the day before the game to use champion jockey and Irish Examiner columnist Ruby Walsh as a valuable sounding board.
“Ruby was guest at a charity lunch in the Shelbourne, so we hook up for a coffee and a chat,” he wrote. “I know Ruby for about 13 years now and he’s very helpful to bounce ideas off. You might ask what have rugby and jump racing got in common but the mindset of a top pro is what interests me and it’s always good to discuss things with him.”
O’Gara also outlined the tension he experienced in the build-up to selection for the game, as national debate raged over whether he or Sexton would be selected to don the number 10 shirt.
“I was delighted to be selected for the game, as I wasn’t sure what way it would go. For the morning session I was selected on the team that looked like the test team, and Jonny Sexton was on the other team so that looked promising.
“You can never be fully sure that this team for the morning session on a Monday is Declan’s starting team but it’s usually a very good sign.”
