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27th July 2022
04:00pm BST
"I'm not training any differently, anyway. I'm doing less, if anything. I need to get back on track and devote a little time to my own training, to be honest with you. I've stopped doing weights. And, by nature, I'm slight as it is, so I need to make sure I pack on a few more kgs."[caption id="attachment_268575" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara pictured at his side's Captain's Run at Stade Velodrome, the day before the 2022 Champions Cup Final. (Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile)[/caption]
"We didn't target Johnny in the final. I think it's important to say that. We had a plan about trying to go after them in certain areas of the pitch. "Once we had analysed the games against Leicester and Connacht, there were one or two opportunities where, if we were accurate, we were able to exploit. But we scored three tries but, when you look at the video, we'd be disappointed that we left another five potential opportunities out there. They'd be able to say the same, as well, obviously. That's what happens at the highest level. "In terms of targeting individuals, no. We have a philosophy that we'd be more trying to ensure we have a finely oiled framework that gives boys opportunities to express themselves in the heat of battle."Following the game, O'Gara had remarked that his players were 'probably a bit shocked at how much I loved' the European Cup. "Once we got a bit of momentum," he added, "they could see, 'Now I know what this crazy Irishman is about'!" Now that the mountain has been scaled, I ask the former Munster and Ireland star if his players will need convincing about how mighty an achievement it would be to retain their trophy.
"No. Sure they've tasted victory now. They know what the European Cup stands for. That's a lot more powerful now, than actually saying it. They don't need any more words. "They've experienced a winning dressing room in Marseille. They know what that feeling is. They're very privileged. It's a very difficult thing to do. Obviously, it will be very difficult to repeat it next year, but that's the plan and that's what you chase. It doesn't mean that we're going to get frightened or overwhelmed by that. It starts at '0' again in August."[caption id="attachment_262660" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Ronan O'Gara celebrates with his wife, Jessica Daly after his side's victory in the Heineken Champions Cup Final. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)[/caption]
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"La Rochelle had never won anything, but we always talked about what the port would be like if we got a taste for it. But, yeah, it blew us away. It was hugely inspiring. "You'd be very, very proud of the players. You'd be proud of the city, proud of the supporters. The home atmosphere is very special at [Stade Marcel] Deflandres. At the minute, there's a great vibe to it. "But you can see, the same as Munster, it doesn't last. So you have to make plans for the short-term, medium term and long-term. With that, the most important thing is keeping your performances where they need to be, and that will be the goal, starting next season."La Rochelle have lost Victor Vito to retirement and Ihaia West to Toulon, but they have recruited wisely. Ultan Dillane has arrived from Connacht, Teddy Thomas has come on down from Racing 92 and the brilliant Samoa Ulupano Seuteni is a great backline addition. [caption id="attachment_268577" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Ronan O'Gara pictured with Joe Schmidt at an Ireland training season, at Carton House, in 2017. (Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile)[/caption]
"He ran interesting training sessions - really detailed, really organised - and he was very impressive. Usually, you are aware of weeks going quickly, but that entire week just whizzed by. I was tired going to bed as I was in soak mode, trying to soak up as much as I could from a brilliant coach. It was fascinating. "What was also evident was, he let the players own a lot of it. There might be a misconception out there that he likes to control everything, but I didn't see that. I saw the leaders on the team taking control, and driving different walk-throughs, at different periods of the week. Training was intense, but it was enjoyable. His meetings were short, sharp and interesting."https://www.instagram.com/p/CdGmy11FPzX/
"But, sure, you're looking at two incidents over 34 games, or whatever. It's going to happen, and it will happen again. "It's just those two away games. Maybe I'm supposed to be a little bit quieter at away games, and not encourage my team. It's all par for the course, really, in Top 14."The end of next season will see Ronan O'Gara rack up 10 years in various coaching roles. Many Munster and Ireland fans would love to see him return home to take up one of those two big coaching jobs. Still only 45, O'Gara is not done with La Rochelle mission. On his key coaching philosophy, he mulls for a moment or two before saying, "It's your consistencies if behaviour that define you and, for me, that's very important, in terms of how you set up your team. "You have to have a few key messages to your group, and you need to keep reinforcing that. For me, it's a journey you go on together. You don't need to separate your playing group and your staff. "It's very important that you create a vision for your group, and that you get buy-in from your players. But, for me, the great thing that I learned in New Zealand is, there's no magic wand. A lot of it starts and finishes with hard work." [caption id="attachment_268578" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Award-winning Irish designer, Benetti Menswear, launched their new seasonal collections for Summer '22 with La Rochelle Head Coach and former Ireland star Ronan O’Gara at The Mayson Hotel in Dublin.The new collections are available at featured retailers nationwide and exclusively online. (Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)[/caption]
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