Ronan O’Gara has played with a few decent centres in his day – Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Lifeimi Mafi, Rob Henderson, Trevor Halstead and more.
So to hear him name Rua Tipoki up there as one of the very best players he ever shared a pitch with is one of the highest compliments the former Munster and Ireland outhalf can pay.
Tipoki arrived at Munster at the age of 32, back in 2007, but made such an impression over his two seasons [29 games] that it left an indelible mark in O’Gara’s mind. Having played Super Rugby with Auckland, Highlanders and Crusaders, the Kiwi brought a daring, attacking edge to Munster’s play and formed a lethal partnership with Mafi.
O’Gara told The Hard Yards:
“Tipoki and Mafi completely opened my eyes to how enjoyable rugby was – playing with them and the excitement of going training.”
Having won the 2006 Heineken Cup with a midfield combination of John Kelly and Trevor Halstead, Tipoki and Mafi [pictured above] added an extra cutting edge to the successful cup run of 2007/08. O’Gara added:
“[They brought] overs and unders. So, for people that mightn’t be that familiar with rugby, that would be just changing the angles at the last minute.
“Rua was easily one of the best guys I ever played with. All he ever used to say was, ‘ROG, you take that guy’, then he’d make the call. If it was a minus, he’d change his angle to an inside shoulder and if it was a plus, he’d change his angle to an outside shoulder and beat yer man because he had wicked feet.
“So every single time in phase play, if we’d do it off first phase, he’s make me look exceptional because of the call he’d make on the run. Sometimes it can be a simple game and that’s the thing I took from him most. His encouragement, coaching and communication on the run.”
With Doug Howlett also in the backline with the interchangeable midfield duo, O’Gara knew he was experiencing a “special” couple of seasons. Looking back now, almost a decade later, has only strengthened that belief.
