O'Gara: Joey Carbery may prove the missing piece in Munster puzzle

Ronan O’Gara believes Munster’s summer capture of Ireland fly-half Joey Carbery from Leinster is a “brilliant” signing and the number 10 jersey is his to lose.

The province’s two-time Heineken Cup-winning fly-half and European player of the decade for 2000-10,

believes 22-year-old Carbery can prove to be the difference that turns Munster from contenders to trophy winners and that his successor in the jersey he graced for 16 seasons until 2013 has the potential to be the great number 10 all European champions need to succeed.

It’s brilliant,” O’Gara said of Carbery joining Munster. “I haven’t been as excited about it as this, I got a great buzz out of it because it’s Munster.

“Everyone backs Leinster because they’re from Leinster, I back Munster because they’re the team I like. I think I could have been in Cork that day it (Carbery’s move) was announced, and there was a big buzz. It’s big, you know.

“What’s most exciting is his age profile. He’s only going to get better.”

O’Gara, who helped New Zealand’s Crusaders retain their Super Rugby crown in his first campaign there as an assistant coach, was speaking at the launch of Virgin Media Television’s new season at Aviva Stadium yesterday.

The broadcaster will change its name from TV3 next month and carry live coverage of the Champions Cup and Six Nations.

O’Gara and fellow former Ireland team-mate Shane Horgan will front the rugby panel of analysts and he is

expecting to see Carbery entrenched as Munster’s starting fly-half when their European pool campaign begins. That will mean frustration for the four other fly-halves at the province, Tyler Bleyendaal, Ian Keatley, JJ Hanrahan and Bill Johnston.

“I think it’s a very difficult one for the others because I would think that Tyler (Bleyendaal) is a different case, because he’s been injured. The opportunities probably were presented to Keats and JJ and none of them have grabbed it so they have to come back hard if they want, I would say, at best to back up Joey.

But I think what’s important is the fact that people have recognised Joey is a very good player, so he’s going to get time in the jersey. And you get better the more time you get in the number 10 jersey for Munster.

“So he needs to play games and it’s probably his to...if I was coach, it’s probably his to lose now because you have to give him the chance to grow, because he’s proven it for Leinster and Ireland. The kid can play.

“I think it could make a massive difference (for Munster’s chances of success), I genuinely do. They’re not far away. I think they have a few strategic decisions maybe to make in terms of how they want to play the game, to suit Earlsy (wing Keith Earls) and people like that, but it will be a very natural game to Joey because Conor (Murray) can do a lot of the kicking (from scrum-half).

“I know it’s a possession game but Munster can’t neglect their strengths, either.

They have a good pack of forwards that like the ball in front of them from time to time.

“They have a good driving maul, they have a good defence but they need to add that probably.

“I think Johann van Graan admitted that. He said that he is keeping it as it was and there will probably be wrinkles added from this pre-season on.”

As to the news revealed by Murray this summer that Carbery had already been nicknamed “Rog”, the man himself replied modestly: “Ah sure that’s a compliment!

“You’ve seen a few of the images where he glides and he can change a game. It’s a great attribute to have, he needs to get better at his game management and that would be great for Munster because to earn the respect of the very knowledgeable Munster crowd, he’ll want to know how to manage a game, won’t he?

“Like, he’s going to get more and more marked as well, so maybe the break isn’t for him but he plays on the line so he can play inside or outside, or he can go through a hole.

“I think that try against Fiji (last November), no other back could have done that.

I have a little bit of contact with him. The guy has a good attitude,” though he added: “I wouldn’t class him as a superstar yet.

Leinster, European and PRO14 double winners last season, remain the team to beat this season, particularly for their neighbours and fierce rivals Munster, who lost their league semi-final by a point in Dublin last May.

O’Gara sees the gap narrowing if his old team can help Carbery transform into the great 10 he believes he can be.

“You just have to be an admirer of what Leinster are doing. They are producing players that are making a difference in their first team as opposed to producing players that are capable of playing first-team rugby.

“The guys are coming in confident. Like, Jordan Larmour is making a difference as opposed to getting the jersey.

“Was it two years ago they had a disastrous time? It changes quickly but their strength in depth is hugely impressive.

“But, you look at the roster Munster have this year. In the backs, it’s impressive and it’s a big budget, isn’t it?

“But someone pointed out to me, the teams that have won the Champions Cup, it is an impressive list of out-halves that have been on those winning teams.

“So the key point is you need a very, very good 10, a great 10 even to win a European Cup.

“It is too early to say that about Joey Carbery but the potential is there.”