ROG: We haven’t won enough
The Munster legend believes Ireland, with the quality of player available during his time with the national team since 2000, have not won enough and when he retires that will his single biggest regret.
“The biggest disappointment in my rugby career is the lack of success we [Ireland] have had in terms of trophies won,” he said.
“I have always felt this group of players should have achieved more and I’m still convinced there is more in us.
“We have to believe it and we have to achieve it. We have to compete to win, not just compete.”
However, he still has time to add to that tally after quashing all rumours of a possible international retirement and wants to continue playing international rugby until he’s 37 or 38.
The 35-year-old believes he can still offer a lot to Declan Kidney’s side and, after putting himself through a gruelling training regime, will be pushing hard for a starting place for the autumn internationals.
“I’ll be retired long enough. I know that I have more in me that I can squeeze out of myself,” he said.
“Trust me. I will know when the time is right to go. And that’s not any time soon.
“I know that I’m still performing above the standard of international rugby. I’ll be retired long enough. Look, I’ve always been very honest with myself and even with the torment that I have experienced in the last few months I know that there is more to my international story.
“I’ll be honest with myself and there will come a day when I can no longer produce at this level... that day isn’t even close.
“Being frank, I’m fitter now than I was five years ago and my work rate in training is higher than it ever was. I even train outside the gruelling schedules we have within Munster and Ireland. There’s no credit due for training and preparing properly. It’s my job not my hobby.
“That’s what you have to do to compete at the highest level and I will be competing at the highest level for some time to come.”
Despite playing some of the best rugby in his career O’Gara was devastated to be named on the bench for every Six Nations game and admitted hearing the squad being announced left him with a “gut-wrenching” feeling.
“Absolutely it was torture not starting in the games,” he said.
“I especially thought I’d start the Wales game given I was the incumbent and was just after helping Munster to their best ever Pool campaign in the Heineken Cup.
“Also I had bust my ass over the previous 18 months to win the jersey back and then came into [Ireland] after a fantastic Munster run of games but I wasn’t in the team for the Wales game. That was gut-wrenching.”
As a result he spent time analysing his game and looking for areas to improve but most importantly — getting the out-half’s jersey back in his possession.
“You question everything. But then you put it to one side. It’s not as if I could have been playing any better at the time. And you have to stay professional,” he said in an interview with the Evening Echo.
“To mentally and physically prepare for a game you must feel you have a realistic chance of being picked, otherwise you are no good to a team.
“That’s part of being professional and being a team player. You have to put the disappointment to one side and do what you can for the team.
“I concentrated on making the most of the opportunities I got, be that the five minutes, 20 minutes or 25 minutes and I always felt that I was maybe five minutes away from getting the start.
“I was coming in with 20 minutes to go and doing well. In my mind the time had come when I would be given the chance to win matches.”
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