Stunned Ronan O'Gara reflects after 'biggest defeat of my coaching career'

O'Gara's La Rochelle succumbed to a 60-14 defeat in Toulouse in the final Top 14 match of 2025.

La Rochelle coach Ronan O'Gara looks on during the French Top14 rugby union match between Stade Toulousain Rugby (Toulouse) and Stade Rochelais (La Rochelle) at the Ernest-Wallon stadium in Toulouse (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP via Getty Images)

A stunned and frustrated Ronan O’Gara could only marvel at the overwhelming performance of hosts Toulouse after seeing his La Rochelle succumb to a 60-14 defeat in the final Top 14 match of 2025.

“It felt like we were playing a different game,” he told journalists at Stadium Toulouse after the match. “I have to congratulate Toulouse for their timing, their precision, their vision, their number nine, their number 10, and their aggression.

“It was a top performance from a top team — perhaps the best club team in the world.

“It’s hard to know where we stand after an evening like that. We need to reflect, and try to be better against Toulon [next Sunday].” 

Antoine Dupont, starting his first Top 14 game since October 2024 and forming a starting halfback partnership at club level with Romain Ntamack for the first time since the Top 14 final in June that year, scored twice in three minutes, missed out on a first-half hat-trick by the bounce of a ball, and delivered the final pass to two more of Toulouse’s nine tries as the reigning Top 14 champions ran riot to reclaim top spot in title-winning style.

In light of what happened next, it’s easy to forget La Rochelle had scored first. O’Gara was happy enough with the opening exchanges, in which, he said, “we were very precise”.

But then: “Imprecision, poor kicking, high balls, and a Toulouse team with (Antoine) Dupont in good form. It’s difficult to chase them down — we’re not even close.

“They play with speed, precision, confidence, joy, pleasure. And we suffered.”

Even Toulouse would admit it was one of those nights where everything that could go right did. Other than Dupont that single time, they had the bounce of the ball from first whistle to last.

“I think that's Toulouse, isn’t it?” O’Gara said. “When I watch them on TV, they always play like that. There comes a time when you have to appreciate the best in your sport, and they are the best right now.” 

But he insisted that La Rochelle would bounce back quickly. “Am I going to let up? Not at all. I’m going to do the opposite, try to play to our strengths. We didn’t show our strengths [here], that’s why I’m frustrated.

“I need to choose a team that I hope can beat Toulon at home 

“I think this is the biggest defeat of my coaching career. I’m a fairly proud man — it’s not good. But we have the opportunity to respond next weekend. That’s how sport is.

"After [the win over] Bayonne, I thought we were on a roll... Seeing what happened, that’s not us. They’re a top-class team [but] we really helped them, and that’s unforgivable in top-level sport.

“I think we helped fuel their performance. We really contributed to Toulouse’s celebration. There are interesting things to learn, that’s for sure. Are we capable of putting them into practice?

“That’s a very good question.”