Both men had such a long rugby history together so the end did not come easy.
From 2009 to 2013, Ronan O’Gara and Johnny Sexton had one hell of a duel for the Ireland No.10 jersey. The jersey traded hands on several occasions, with O’Gara famously winning it back during the 2011 World Cup, but the Leinster outhalf had re-exerted his dominance by 2012/13.
O’Gara had settled into the role of that experienced hand off the bench. The man to guide Ireland home, from a winning position, or get them back into a game in which they were on the back foot.
There was some fresh competition by O’Gara’s final season in green – Paddy Jackson had helped Ulster to a Heineken Cup final and, although that game was not a success, he was looking to push on and challenge for a starting spot with Ireland.
O’Gara had to content himself with a replacements role, deputising for Jackson, when Sexton was ruled out of the 2013 Six Nations away trip to Scotland. He came on in the second half but had, by his high standards, a poor game. With Sexton declaring himself fit for the next game against Italy, Kidney had a big call to make.
Ultimately, he went with Sexton and put Jackson in as back-up. On Sunday, March 3, as detailed by the soon-to-be-released book ‘The Master’, Kidney was trying to reach O’Gara to let him know of his decision.
Kidney had coached O’Gara from their time as coach and student in Presentation College, Cork. They had known each other 20 years and had achieved great things for Munster and Ireland. Kidney always preferred to break bad news to his players in person but O’Gara, on that Sunday, was at the Cork Opera House with one of his children to catch ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’.
The Munster man was due to travel up to Carton House later that day. Kidney had hoped to catch him during the daytime, and was in Cork at the time, but was unaware of his family plans. He called O’Gara twice but, as he was at the show, both calls went unanswered.
When O’Gara caught up with his coach, he quickly got a sense that he was set to be dropped. He told Kidney he was fine with hearing the bad news over the phone – that he would think nothing less of him as man. Kidney insisted they have their big conversation face to face.
As the book notes, Kidney ‘hummed and hawed’ at the beginning of the chat before O’Gara declared, “I’m not f**king stupid. I realise what’s going on.”
Kidney cut to the chase and O’Gara met it with a simple, “Okay”.
Both men sat there and Kidney asked if there was anything else he’d want to know. O’Gara was fresh from a decent outing against Ospreys and asked his coach ‘Why?’.
Kidney told him that he did not feel his form was good enough and O’Gara bristled. The Ospreys game was mentioned but Kidney held firm to his statement that, overall, he felt his form had dipped.
That was it for O’Gara and Ireland. Kidney insisted the door was not closed on O’Gara but, when Sexton pulled out with an injury, there was no recall. Jackson started, Ian Madigan deputised and Ireland lost.
O’Gara finished out the season in good form for Munster then retired at season’s end.
The outhalf always insisted a big farewell would have made him feel uncomfortable but, to our mind, it sure would have been merited.
