O’Gara labels unfinished semi-final stadium a ‘disgrace’

Munster legend Ronan O’Gara has labelled the ERC’s decision to play a Heineken Cup semi-final in an unfinished stadium as a “disgrace”.

Fans from both Munster and Toulon arrived at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday to find the venue in the midst of a €267m development programme.

The Irish Examiner warned Irish fans that the capacity had been reduced from 60,000 to 40,000 last week while the work is ongoing but O’Gara felt the decision to play the game there was staggering.

“I think the players and supporters deserved a far better stadium than yesterday,” O’Gara said on Today FM.

“To have a game of that importance in a stadium with one whole stand malfunctioning is a disgrace. I couldn’t believe it when I arrived in the ground. It was staggering, really.

“There’s a lot of planning for these things. There was over 10,000 Munster supporters there yesterday and they deserved better than that for a team they’ve supported for the last 15 years.”

O’Gara suggested that playing in front of an empty standaffected players’ performances.

“A set piece on that side of the pitch and there’s no vocal support? Players feed off that.

“Both sets of players deserved better than that for getting to such an elite stage of the competition.”

Donncha O’Callaghan later admitted it was a bit odd but didn’t think it played any bearing oneither sides’ performance.

He said: “It’s a bit odd for lineouts. One side is going crazy and the other side you can hear the coaches abusing you so it’s a bit different.”

However, O’Gara believes the ultimate fault for Munster’s loss rests on the players’ shoulders.

“Munster were always going to have purple patch and the disappointing thing from their point of view was to give them a nine-point lead at half-time, considering Munster made four or five errors that they usually wouldn’t have,” he said.

“That’s what happens at this level. They don’t intentionally drop a ball from a kick off or don’t knock on a ball in their own 22 and give away a penalty but when you’re stressed, these things happen.

“[Delon] Armitage then kicks a penalty from inside his own half and it’s nine points, an unbelievable kick.

“At six points, Munster probably go on and win the game.

“It was great to see the reaction of the players afterwards because they are not happy getting to a semi-final and that’s the attitude of a winner. That’s what the people down there are.”