“I’m not a pundit.”
Ronan O’Gara keeps insisting on it.
Surrounded by media types he insists he is nothing at all like, the former Munster and Ireland outhalf holds court in the FAI Suite at the Aviva Stadium.
TV3 has just announced its slate of presenters, commentators, touchline reporters, pundits… and O’Gara for their 2018 Six Nations coverage. Shane Jennings, Alan Quinlan and Shane Horgan are part of a strong roster but O’Gara is the box-office presence.
As he took his place on stage, O’Gara drew laughs when he mistakenly went to sit on a stool left for newly confirmed host Joe Molloy. “No, no, no, no, no,” he insisted, shoulders jigging with merriment, as Molloy asked if that was the seat he really wanted.
For all involved in TV3 it is a relief to have O’Gara on board especially as there may have been flutters when the Cork native confirmed he would take up a new role as Backs Coach with Crusaders, in New Zealand, next year. But no, he had given the broadcaster his commitment and he would make it work with Scott Robertson’s side.
O’Gara will depart Paris, and his job at Racing 92, at the end of December and head off for ‘The Land of The Long White Cloud’. Crusaders are reigning Super Rugby champions but they have an obsessive, winning mentality in Canterbury and will expect O’Gara to hit the ground running. He has the hefty task of replacing former All Blacks star Leon MacDonald from 2017’s title-winning coaching team.
He will return at the start of February and be part of the TV3 team for the opening games against France and Italy before returning to New Zealand for the start of the Super Rugby season [February 24 against Chiefs].
Once the formalities were completed, O’Gara was again in demand. He chatted with RSVP magazine about the challenge of upping sticks to New Zealand with wife Jessica and his five children. While he will be flying solo for his first five weeks in Canterbury, the O’Gara clann will head down en masse in February.
And so we came to the round-table chat and O’Gara was in top form as he discussed Munster’s Champions Cup chances against Leicester Tigers, contract season, wages in France and how Altrad-owned Montpellier can almost play fantasy rugby when squad building.
There was another funny moment as he mulled over the recent failures of the French national team under Guy Noves. France, he noted, were missing a few quality centres during their November internationals. “Gael Fickou and Remi Lamerat,” he said, “and the guy from La Rochelle.”
He looked to the rugby reporters for assistance but it was slow coming back.
“He can play a bit of 10 too.”
Blank faces. This was getting embarrassing.
As he was about to move on, Derek Foley of The Star saved our blushes – “Doumayrou!”
“Yes,” O’Gara replied. “Geoffrey Doumayrou.”
10 rugby reporters surrounding one of Ireland’s greatest rugby players but we got there in the end.
France are first up for Ireland, on February 3, and O’Gara the rugby man – definitely not a pundit – will offer up his expertise and opinion having had vast experience of both nations.
As for the tournament favourites, loath as he was to admit it, England would go in as the team to beat. Finish ahead of them and another championship should be the reward.
New station. Same challenge.
