Ronan O'Gara: Where rivals have options, we have age-old old-age questions

Irish rugby needs new dreams and inspiration. It needs a new version of itself. We’ve done the No 1-ranked thing. We’ve failed dismally and consistently when it matters. Staleness is an unavoidable consequence of sameness

DEPTH: France's and La Rochelle scrum half Nolann Le Garrec at French training in Marcoussis, ahead of the Autumn internationals. Pic: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images

WHEN the French rugby federation named their 23 joueurs protégés for the next two weekends of internationals, at least one name of significance was missing – La Rochelle’s Greg Alldritt.

I’m not complaining. From a purely selfish point of view, it makes him available to line up for us Sunday night against my old club, Racing 92. Given that Top 14 tie won’t finish until after 11pm, the turnaround for France’s – and rugby’s – biggest game of the autumn the following Saturday at home to world champions South Africa, is too tight.