O’Gara urges global ‘trawl’ to find new coach
“I’ve heard rumblings (of the contenders to replace the Australian) but I haven’t put any great thought into it because I thought there was an awful lot left in this season,” said O’Gara.
“It’s come into my mind in the last 24 hours. You’d hope they trawl the world for the best possible coach.”
O’Gara pointed out that while forwards coach Anthony Foley is widely tipped to take over from McGahan, “everything has to be considered” in making the appointment rather than presuming the replacement is on Munster’s doorstep.
“You don’t know, it’d be easy to presume that (Foley to replace McGahan) but it’s such a big job, the right decision has to be made. It would appeal to a lot of coaches. It’s interesting. Joe Schmidt was a backs coach but he’s raved about now in Irish rugby. Tony McGahan wouldn’t have had much pedigree before coming over here but he was very good. It’s important to have the right man.
“You have to take the best option. I just think everything has to be considered in terms of what’s being filled here. Axel (Anthony Foley) may well be the best candidate, but you’re placing your trust in these people to ensure they have examined every possible situation to come up with the best possible coach. That’s what’s needed.”
O’Gara says his involvement in the process until now has been minimal.
“I was spoken to once by the chief executive, Garret Fitzgerald, but I didn’t have much input because my head was on the rugby side of things.
“There are five or six potential candidates as far as I’m aware. Nothing much has changed from that as far as I’ve been told.”
O’Gara ruled out an involvement in coaching himself. “I love rugby — I love Munster and Irish rugby, but I don’t know (about coaching). The big thing for me is playing well and doing my best for the team. Because we lost last weekend, nothing much has changed in my mind in that regard. I’m disappointed but I won’t be going to the coaching side for a while yet.”
O’Gara warned against the danger of the season “petering out” for Munster after their Heineken Cup defeat to Ulster.
“Every emotion is being experienced in terms of last Sunday, yesterday was the first day we tried to get on with it.
“There is that possibility in terms of the whole thing petering out now, but you’d hope that doesn’t happen.”
The out-half suffered a dead leg last Sunday but is not expected to miss any upcoming games in the RaboDirect Pro12.
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