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'I'm not surprised': The O'Driscoll verdict on O'Gara for England

Irish champions Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara. (Photo by Peter Muhly/AFP via Getty Images)

Brian O’Driscoll has given his verdict on Ronan O’Gara ambitiously throwing his hat into the mix for the England head coach job. La Rochelle coach O’Gara was asked during an appearance on Rugby Tonight whether he would consider becoming the English boss and the Irishman’s reply was intriguing with the race now on for the RFU to identify a successor to Eddie Jones post the 2023 World Cup.  

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Yeah, it would be a great job I think actually. Yeah, what a team. There’s so much potential there,” replied O’Gara to BT Sport presenter Craig Doyle on Sunday evening. “There is serious rugby players and serious passion for the game in England. It’s a cracking job, you’d love to have a go off that.” 

O’Gara’s candid admission generated a flurry of headlines on either side of the Irish Sea as the assumption was that the former Munster and Ireland player would eventually return home to coach either club or country following a tracksuit apprenticeship that started out at Racing, continued at the Crusaders in New Zealand and has now taken another leap forward by the 45-year-old taking on the top job at La Rochelle. 

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O’Driscoll, who these days works as a pundit with BT Sport, was intrigued by what he heard last weekend. When asked on Tuesday by RugbyPass in a feature interview to be published later this week what he made of the O’Gara for England headlines, he suggested that the allegiances people have when they are players don’t apply in coaching when it comes to the most attractive jobs. 

“The thing with allegiances as a player, they go as soon as you retire,” explained O’Driscoll about O’Gara, his fellow Irish Test centurion who is nearing the end of his ninth season as a coach following his 2013 retirement as a player. 

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“When you are a coach that goes out the window. I couldn’t have thought of anyone more of a Munster man than Denis Leamy, but yet there he is with the Leinster set-up and the Leinster environment. Work is work but also you want to work to be able to learn more and ultimately bring it back to your own province or the team that pulls on your heartstrings the most. 

“It’s Munster or Ireland I would imagine with Rog, but the most attractive jobs are very attractive as a coach. It is not to do with who you have got the most ties with. That is gone. Those days are past when you cease to be a player. I’m not surprised Rog got asked the question, ‘Would he be interested in the English job?’ He said he would. Lots of great players to choose from, lots of ambition, so why wouldn’t you want to be involved in a ticket like that if you were a coach?”

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O’Driscoll and O’Gara spent 14 years together as Ireland players, the midfielder enjoying a Test career that was two years longer as he started in 1999 and finished in 2014 – unlike O’Gara who made a 2000 debut and retired in 2013. He has watched his former teammate’s coaching career with great interest in recent years, but does he think O’Gara really has the attributes to genuinely be considered as the next England coach?

“He has got a very clear understanding on how he wants to play the game,” enthused O’Driscoll about the credentials O’Gara has for the England job. “He is a good strategist, he is very passionate about bringing his point of difference, a very personable guy, creates a good fun environment to be around and to be in, so he has got all of the traits that you would imagine you need for a coach. 

“International coaching is slightly different. You need a wealth of knowledge and understanding as to how to do a top job. Maybe it’s a little bit early for him to be getting into international coaching but it feels inevitable that it will come down the line.”   

  • BT Sport is the home of the European Rugby Champions Cup. The 2021/22 season continues with a weekend full of games, including Connacht vs Leinster live on BT Sport 1 at 7.15pm on Friday, April 8. Find out more information on how to watch at BT Sport bt.com/sport
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O
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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