Little sympathy, just empathy from O’Gara for old mentor Kidney

What goes around, comes around — that appears to be the gist of Ronan O’Gara’s assessment of Declan Kidney’s removal as Ireland head coach.

A little more than five weeks have passed since Kidney left 36-year-old O’Gara “gutted” by his decision to promote Ulster rookie Paddy Jackson to the starting fly-half’s position rather than Ireland’s leading points scorer and record cap holder to replace the injured Jonny Sexton against Scotland at Murrayfield. The Munster veteran was yesterday in a position to sympathise with his long-time mentor after the IRFU decided not to renew the national team head coach’s contract this summer.

“You know, it was.... I was omitted from the squad a few weeks ago and that’s really disappointing and then Deccie got his news yesterday and I’m sure he’s hugely disappointed,” O’Gara said of the man who had coached him since his schooldays at Presentation Brothers College, through Munster’s Heineken Cup successes and onto the 2009 Grand Slam.