Ronan O'Gara plays down Australia links but doubles down on international ambitions

COUNTRY CALLING? La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara before the Investec Champions Cup clash with Leinster at Stade Marcel Deflandre in La Rochelle, France. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

La Rochelle boss Ronan O'Gara has played down rumours of a potential move to Australia Rugby but doubled down on his ambition on coach at the highest level against the best coaches in the world. 

O'Gara has enjoyed great success in his coaching career with Racing 92, the Crusaders and most notably, La Rochelle, where he has conquered all on the European stage as head coach.

With the announcement that former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt will be leaving his post as Wallabies boss after this season's Rugby Championship, O'Gara's name has come up in conversations surrounding Schmidt's successor. 

The 47-year-old - who is contracted to La Rochelle until 2027 - recently registered his interest in the job, noting that "it would be some journey".

"No, nothing to report. It's the way it goes I think and I'm always convinced that if you do the business with your club team, they'll come home looking for you," O'Gara said, speaking on BBC's coverage of the Six Nations clash of Scotland and Ireland at Murrayfield. 

"I've been living a dream in France where a bunch of boys are giving me an opportunity to potentially go coach in the international game. I want to do that, of course.

"I want to do that, I want to test myself against the best coaches in the world.

"You gotta understand it's a game played by the players."

Former Munster and Ireland out-half O'Gara charted the differences he sees between the elite club game and international fare. 

For the Cork native, it's a big step up. 

"It's a different game. It's a different pressure. There's a different time on the ball. There's a different defence. There's like in the club game on an average weekend you probably have five average players on each team. 

"Out here today, you'd be lucky to find one and the key in a test match in a game of chess is once you find it, keep on after that potential weakness That's maybe simplifying it a little bit.

"But like in the club game recruitment is so important that you gotta recruit well. While in test matches, yeah, well, maybe people will say that they do recruit, but that's not for debate today. 

"You have limited time with the players here. So it's all about environment and culture.

"Also probably people before players once you get a happy person it translates to a happy player. You have to understand his 'why' and everyone's 'why' is different."

The Ireland centurion, as ever, made no secret of where he is aiming when it comes to snaring an international coaching gig, but insisted that his full focus is on his "bread and butter", La Rochelle. 

"It's unbelievably exciting but for me to get on a short list you need to make sure that my bread and butter, which is La Rochelle, is going well. 

"I have a loyalty to them obviously because they've put me where I am.

"In terms of club jobs in Europe, La Rochelle is a great team to be with. Very good lifestyle.

"If you want to go from a club team to an international team, you want to make sure that that international team could be the best in the world."

On Ireland's win against Scotland, O'Gara said the margin of difference between the two sides felt far greater than the scoreline suggested.

"If you're looking for a formula of how to go away and win in the Six Nations I think you should study that.

"It was ruthless from minute one. Total domination. Normally in a Test match the lead changes hands a couple of times and it's in the balance.

"Today the biggest surprise is that it finished 32-18. It felt like a 40-point victory and maybe if Ireland need to, I think they've another couple of gears to go."