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'I will not change my behaviour this week': The vow La Rochelle boss Ronan O'Gara has made ahead of European decider

(Photo by Getty Images)

La Rochelle boss Ronan O’Gara has vowed to treat this week like any other at the French club even though it will culminate on Saturday in their first-ever Heineken Champions Cup final appearance. The two-time tournament winner as a player with Munster is hoping to win the competition again 13 years after he put Toulouse to the sword in the 2008 final in Cardiff. 

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That success completed Munster’s second title in three seasons and O’Gara is now looking to get the better of Toulouse once more and prevent a club currently inspired by Antoine Dupont from being crowned European champions for a record-making fifth time.  

Having earned his coaching stripes in France as an assistant at Racing, with whom he lost the 2016 final with before moving on to the title-winning Super Rugby Crusaders, O’Gara will soon assume the director of rugby role at La Rochelle after two years working as head coach for Clermont-bound Jono Gibbes. 

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Having defeated Gloucester, Sale and Leinster in recent knockout rounds, only Toulouse stand in Rochelle’s way of a breakthrough first Champions Cup. However, rather than get caught up in any of the excitement surrounding a Twickenham decider which will see ex-Saracens lock Will Skelton returning to London, O’Gara is playing it cool ahead of the trip to England.  

“It’s a normal week for me,” he insisted at a midweek media briefing. “It’s only one game, an important game of course, but I will not change my behaviour this week. I’m as usual. I had the chance to taste a lot of finals and it’s just important to focus all our energy on Saturday. We are quite experienced at the staff level, the players too. The club are not used to playing European finals, it will be the first. I hope it will not be the last.”

O’Gara played down his connection as a former winner of the trophy who is now trying to succeed as a coach against a Toulouse team short their suspended skipper Julien Marchand. “My titles are another era, this is 2006, this is 2008. These are of course memories that I will keep in mind for the rest of my life… but our goal as the staff is for the team to perform well on Saturday. If that is the case, we have a great opportunity to do something in this final. That’s why I love rugby – everything is played on Saturday for 80 minutes!

“I feel that every week there is progress in the group. When the players are at the training centre, they are hungry and these are very important ingredients in the sport. We identified some weaknesses in Toulouse’s game and also in our game. We have enough weapons and it is a great pleasure for me to coach this team on a daily basis. I am very proud and excited. It’s historic, the club is writing a new page in its history.”

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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TRENDING Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea
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