Ronan O'Gara: Ireland's 10 conversation has turned nasty

Jack Crowley, left, and Sam Prendergast during an Ireland Rugby squad training session at The Campus in Quinto da Lago. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

The fascination around the owner of Irish rugby’s No 10 jersey is in danger of moving into the realm of spite and nastiness, Ronan O’Gara fears.

The legendary out-half fears the suffocating fear of Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley or even Harry Byrne fouling up an opportunity in green is doing neither them or Irish rugby any good.

“I’d hate to be their parents,” O’Gara mused on a special Irish Examiner one-hour online live-chat which will air Wednesday.

“There’s an obsession with this debate. In other positions it’s more clean cut who plays. The No 10 jersey creates a divide between (Irish) fans depending on what club jersey you wear, and it’s a major distraction now to the point that it’s affecting three young men who are trying to make a name for themselves in the international game. It all must be particularly unenjoyable for them.”

O’Gara added: “Just let the kids play, make their mistakes, everyone is a journalist now, everyone has an opinion and everyone is out to slate them. It’s so ruthless, every error is exposed and it becomes an international talking point. It must be hard being their parents. It’s remarkable what they are doing, their parents should be so proud but then it all transcends into the nasty category, and that should never be the case.”

He said: “The reality is for 25 years two people dominated the jersey but now that’s up for grabs. Jack Crowley had an unbelievable start to his international career and everyone said, right we have the solution here for the next 100 caps. There wasn’t a murmur when Johnny Sexton retired the way Crowley hit the ground running, and the way he played, this guy could be anything. 

Harry Byrne, left, Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast during the Ireland team assembly day at the IRFU High Performance Centre. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

"And then, (Sam) Prendergast was forecast to come through with a big reputation, he excelled in certain parts, but in any test game defence is a big part and he has work to do in that area.”

Fielding questions from readers and rugby fans, O’Gara also addressed the question over his next coaching move, post-2027 when his current La Rochelle contract runs out. 

He admitted that he had made mistakes talking about his future in public.

“It’s a valid point, when you start talking about other alternatives as a job, you send a bad message to the players, to the club president. I was asked a few question after a game in Bath, and things get taken out of the context. 

"Ever since that I haven’t spoken about another job and I never will speak about another job because I am very happy here at this brilliant (La Rochelle) club.

“Andy (Farrell) is doing a brilliant job with Ireland, if he would like to continue he should be entitled to keep going, because his record is incredibly strong. I don’t have a leg to stand on in terms of the Irish job. 

"With Munster, who knows in terms of the future, but where I am mentally at the minute, I wouldn’t be swapping any job in the world for my club job.”

*To watch or listen to the fascinating one-hour special with Ronan O'Gara, log on to irishexaminer.ie from 1pm on Wednesday.