Ronan O'Gara: Right now, I’m a walking, talking contradiction

The malaise started right here. I have to put my hand up. Once they see their coach speaking poorly to the officials, it speaks to a poor attitude and bad standards.

DEPOWERED: Bayonne's scrum-half Maxime Machenaud making yards against La Rochelle last Saturday.

The opening dispatch of the new campaign shouldn’t really be about standards and attitude, but a five-hour bus journey home from a dreadful defeat in Bayonne tends to take you down some dark alleyways.

It was good La Rochelle players and management had a long road home from a 29-13 stuffing. Everyone had to sit and suffer. Donncha Ryan was alongside, stewing at an under-performing lineout and blaming himself, not because he ought to, but because he cares and takes these things personally.