O’Gara: Quitting not part of plan

RONAN O’GARA has called for the focus to return to the Ireland squad after insisting he has no intention of retiring from Test rugby after the World Cup.

Ireland’s record points scorer, who won his 115th Test cap as a replacement for Ireland in Saturday’s 15-6 victory over Australia, had grabbed some of the headlines in the aftermath of that famous win at Eden Park when said in a post-match interview: “I’m done with Ireland in a few weeks. I’ve had a great time in this jersey but I want this to be the biggest time.”

Yesterday, at the team’s hotel in Taupo ahead of this Sunday’s Pool C match against Russia in Rotorua, he appeared to backtrack from those comments, declaring only “losers” quit when the going gets tough.

“It’s important for me to put an end to this because it’s a distraction the team doesn’t need,” O’Gara said at an Ireland team press conference. In my own head I’ll reassess at the end of the World Cup. But I want to be part of this team because it’s a great team at the minute because in six or seven weeks’ time it’s over.”

O’Gara implied his comments had caused confusion because of their ambiguity.

“I said I’m done with Ireland in a few weeks and there are different interpretations of that. From my point of view, when you set goals as a professional player everything ends, hopefully, with the World Cup final. That’s exactly where I stand at the minute. Retirement has crossed my mind plenty of times over the last few years. There are plenty of thoughts in your head when you’re disappointed — but that’s what losers do, they quit when things aren’t going well for them. Retirement hasn’t entered my head seriously in that regard. I’m a fighter and I’ll keep going until the end. When that is, I’m not too sure. For me it’s about being part of an Ireland team that will do itself justice in the competition and give the supporters at home something they deserve.

“Playing for Ireland means so much you don’t walk away from the team until it’s right. You take advice from people you respect on that front. I’m not at that stage.

“The other night I was speaking in terms of six or seven weeks’ time being done with Ireland in terms of this World Cup and that’s what we want, we want something big out of this. But I think it’s important the focus goes back onto the team and hopefully get into the 22 on Friday for [the game against] Russia on Sunday.”

There may also be financial consequences attached to any international retirement decision with suggestions that 34-year-old O’Gara’s central contract would have to be renegotiated if he were to make himself unavailable for Ireland duty for the remainder of his current deal.

O’Gara signed a two-year contract extension last November which will see him continue to play in Ireland with Munster up to the end of 2012-2013 campaign.

It is understood that Munster would not have had to pick up O’Gara’s contract were he to quit Test rugby, which would have come as a considerable relief to the province, having seen rising player costs as one of the major factors behind a reduction in Munster Rugby’s forecasted cash surplus for the year to last June 30.

At the Munster Branch Annual General Meeting in early June, financial controller Philip Quinn announced a 14% rise in player costs to €2.4m for the professional squad.

And part of that rise from €2m in 2010 was due to the branch having to absorb the salary of a player whose central, international contract had been switched to a provincial one.

O’Gara’s clarification will therefore come as a relief in many corners of Irish rugby officialdom, although not, perhaps to the 34-year-old’s rival for the Ireland number 10 jersey Jonathan Sexton.

Sexton has become Declan Kidney’s first-choice fly-half over the last two seasons but O’Gara’s resurgence in form and better game management has made it a very tight call between the two, with Sexton’s poor form with the boot against the United States in the first Pool C game levelling the playing field even further.

That continued against Australia, when the Leinster star kicked two penalties from five attempts at goal in addition to an early drop goal before being replaced by O’Gara. Sexton switched to inside centre when his rival replaced the injured Gordon D’Arcy in the 51st minute and saw O’Gara slot two penalties from two attempts.

O’Gara is in line to start this Sunday’s game against Russia as Kidney rotates his squad and the Munster veteran believes both fly-halves have a major role to play.

“It’s hugely important that both of us show form and I think the way that it’s going, both of us are going to have roles. That’s what you’ve got to accept at the top Test level.”