Ronan O’Gara wants to return to Munster one day and coach his former team.
The Racing defence coach has signed on with the Parisiens until 2019 and feels he is getting the best education possible as part of Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit’s coaching team.
In an interview with The Irish Independent, O’Gara lays out his coaching plans as best he can. He also acknowledges that fate can often be determined by results – for better or worse.
Three years into his time in the Top 14, O’Gara believes he is in one of the toughest leagues in the world and still has a ways to go. He said:
“I’m nowhere near ready [to be head coach]. I understand a lot of it, but I have no idea how to coach the attack game fluently yet.
“When you’re standing in front of Munster or Irish players, they spot a spoofer straight away. I’m still at the spoofing stage. I need to get it all on autopilot.”
Former Munster and Ireland teammate Paul O’Connell is also looking to get involved in coaching. He recently paid a visit to Grenoble, in France, and oversaw a couple of training sessions run by his friend Mike Prendergast.
O’Gara is wary of the clamour for O’Connell to get involved in Munster’s coaching set-up but is conscious of the similar call that went out for Anthony Foley. Now, with results sketchy at best, Foley is under the pump.
O’Gara says there are no active plans to get the former Ireland captain into a coaching role at Racing 92 but concedes the potential to do so is always there.
“I talk to Paulie, Paulie will be an exceptionally good coach and it’s no secret of the two of ours that we want to team up. It’s about getting the right opportunity.”
That will be music to the ears of Munster fans but an O’Connell/O’Gara coaching ticket is some way off.
Munster may have to face more hard times before, in two or three years, the dream team are called upon.
UPDATE: Following on from publication of the O’Gara comments, the Corkman has sent out a tweet disavowing O’Connell of all knowledge.
Apologies to @Paul_OConnell as my comments are almost being interpreted as if I was speaking on both our behalfs which I certainly was not.
— Ronan O Gara (@RonanOGara10) April 14, 2016
I was merely expressing a wish for the future such is the esteem I hold for the man.
— Ronan O Gara (@RonanOGara10) April 14, 2016
His comments would seem to suggest that but it is good of O’Gara to clear up any confusion.
