Ronan O'Gara: Munster and Rowntree share some important values. That's a good start

VALUE SYSTEM: What  Graha Rowntree said in his opening press conference as Munster's next head coach "struck a chord" with Ronan O'Gara.

IT’S easy to like Graham Rowntree as a person. We were on that Lions tour to Australia in 2001 and the perception is a fact. He is a decent, honest, hard-working guy who holds dear a lot of values that Munster people will readily associate with. As a coach, I can’t judge him because we haven’t worked together.

The coaching landscape is littered with hard-nosed ex-front rows who end up being asked the same question out of the gate – have they the coaching vision to change up Munster’s style of play. As if a former life prevents them from doing so. Much more relevant to Rowntree and Munster now is whether he and his coaching group will deliver certainty to the players about how they want to play – and not revert to old ways when the pressure comes on. 

It’s something that has afflicted Munster these last three or four seasons; they cracked under the weight and narrowness of their forward-dominated box-kicking game. Fine if they really believe in that and in that message - there may be reasons to stick with such a game. But along the way outside noise and influences seem to have stirred doubts into the template which has altered how they play. That’s when it gets wishy-washy.

It’s all well and fine to be spouting out the keep-the-ball-alive (KBA) mantra, but that is on the basis a team has a good ball-carrying forward with footwork, who wins a lot of collisions and, hence, plays on the front foot. That demands monsters who can carry the ball or athletes who can identify space.

No head coach can drive it on his/her own. The contrast in management opinion is crucial. There is no harm in disagreeing on certain points how the game should be played as long as there is unity in the group behind an ultimate decision on style and substance. There has to be an over-arching principle. Donnacha Ryan sees the game very differently to me, as do the other assistants at La Rochelle, but in fairness to them, they are willing to bite their tongue from time to time for the bigger picture.

When I started coaching at Racing 92, Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit made it a coaching triangle and included me in every decision. One could never forget that. I never felt subordinate in any way, which is a great compliment. I was included in all selection and recruitment.

In Christchurch at the Crusaders, the management structure is very well established. The roles and responsibilities are well defined and Razor was looking for me to excel in my specific area and not to have too much of an input into who is playing tight or loose-head prop.

Essentially every coaching set-up is different, but the mix of personality and skillset is fundamental. That Munster is Rowntree’s first venture into head coaching is a complete non-issue. We all start somewhere. You are better off having a guy who has the potential to be a brilliant coach than the journeyman who’s had innumerable head coaching gigs. Munster may reap the rewards of getting a great coach in on the ground floor.

What he said in his press conference struck a chord with me. He just feels it’s right in terms of team and timing. I had that feeling in the latter stages at the Crusaders. I was ready for whatever the next job title was. I am 45, Graham is 51 next week, but whatever stage it happens at, it hits you and becomes very clear in your head. The time is now. The easy move is to do nought, to continue doing what he was at, but Rowntree wants to extract the best out of himself too, which is admirable.

HEAVY LIFTING: No coach can drive it on his own, says O'Gara

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I PRESUME he is well down the road in terms of his management group when he takes the reins on July 1st. Denis Leamy would be a brilliant addition but he is now in the Leinster senior coaching group and I am not sure his return to red is as home and hosed as some presume.

Mike Prendergast’s virtues have been well advertised in this column but in any conversation I’ve had with him, his focus on Racing 92, a huge club, has been absolute. He certainly doesn’t seem to me to be looking over the garden gate. Either that or he’s a better poker player than I gave him credit for.

Either way, the Munster players have parked it for the moment. They see a Champions Cup quarter-final beckoning and will be getting on with the idea of winning a game by more than five points at home to Exeter tomorrow.

As long as that carrot remains in front of them, Johann van Graan, Stephen Larkham and JP Ferreira don’t have an issue in terms of keeping everyone on message and focused on what’s right in front of them.

In terms of stuff right in front of you, I had my regular visit to the disciplinary dentist on Wednesday after that little contretemps on the sideline at Bordeaux a fortnight ago. As it turned out, the LNR disciplinary panel agreed that it was all about very little and took no punitive action.

A previous misdemeanour means that I stay in the coach’s box on Saturday for our Champions Cup second leg at home to Bordeaux. Winning that Top 14 game 16-15 fed into the performance there last Saturday when we won 31-13. But in terms of cold statistics, we had seventeen more decisive kicks last Saturday than we had in the Top 14 game. In real terms, that’s better field position in almost every instance.

Bordeaux is the better part of 200kms down the road from La Rochelle, but it is our local derby in Top 14 terms. We had the most unbelievable following down there and near the end, heard my own surname turned into a three-syllable chant (O-Gar-a) which was a nice little moment. I know many of them read this column, so I would like to thank them. You would think that old memories fade with time, but ever since Munster’s famous win in Bordeaux 22 years ago, the Stade Chaban Delmas always brings a sense of positivity out in me.

Montpellier or Harlequins await the winners of our last-16 tie. When it was 34-0 in the first leg to the French league leaders, one might have assumed it would be an all-French quarter-final, but a cracking second half fightback from Quins made it 40-26. Believe me, that tie isn’t over. There were moments the visitors had the Montpellier defence at cracking point so a good start at the Stoop throws this one right back into the mix. If there is a team left in the competition with a penchant for the dramatic it is Quins.

The evening before our game in Bordeaux, some of the La Rochelle staff went on a recce around the city and came back with news of The Connemara bar like it was some sort of revelation to me. After our win, we pulled the bus up outside and piled in for pints, burgers and chips. The proprietor is a big Ulster fan so it was no surprise to find he had taken himself off to Toulouse for their first leg. He must have been quite happy with the result at the Stade Ernest Wallon and the till takings in his absence. 

A word of warning, however. Ravenhill might be daunting for most sides, but no les daunting is Ulster’s task of seeing this one through. It is very obvious to point out that Toulouse are the reigning champions and that they are a very awkward proposition, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Perhaps it is a mite less mountainous for Ulster if Antoine Dupont doesn’t make the game. He didn’t train early in the week.