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O'Gara shares dream of winning RWC, but not necessarily with Ireland
By Josh Raisey
La Rochelle boss Ronan O’Gara has set his sights on winning a World Cup in the future as a coach.
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The 128-cap former Ireland international has won the biggest prizes in the club game from back-to-back Super Rugby titles as an assistant coach at the Crusaders to leading La Rochelle to back-to-back Investec Champions Cups, and now has the Webb Ellis Cup in his crosshairs.
Speaking on the “Super Moscato Show” on French radio station RMC, he made it quite clear that he wants to win the international trophy that eluded him as a player, but isn’t fussed who he wins it with.
The Munster legend is viewed by many as the Ireland coach in waiting, but he said in the interview that he likes the idea of coaching France too.
O’Gara has not objected to the notion of coaching teams other than Ireland in the Test arena, and was even attracted to the England job following Eddie Jones’ sacking in 2022.
“At the moment, I would like to have the ability to win the World Cup,” he said, as reported by French outlet Midi Olympique (translated by Google).
“I dream of winning things, whether with Ireland or I like France. I’m not French. I’m trying to prove myself and put my name in this debate. It’s possible that for Ireland, the next coach will be a New Zealander, a Southerner, African or an Australian, that’s how it is.”
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The idea of working under a coach in Test rugby is out of the question now for O’Gara, who said he now has the “taste” of being head coach.
“Being a member of the staff? No, I don’t think so,” he added.
“When you get a taste of the number 1 position, of these responsibilities, it’s difficult.”
Despite the huge success O’Gara has experienced on the west coast of France, he admitted that “everything is not good” currently after crashing out of the Champions Cup at the hands of Leinster and then losing to Castres at the weekend.
La Rochelle are clinging onto a play-off berth in the Top 14 by the skin of their teeth currently, placed in sixth, as they chase down a title they have never won in their history, let alone while O’Gara has been in charge.
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But the Irishman said that only La Rochelle and Toulouse have a culture of winning, which he hopes will help his side out as they reach the climax of the season.
“We have already won two European Cup titles but that is not enough , even if some think that is enough. I am a liar if I say that everything is good because everything is not good […] In the Top 14, it is in the crisis that you find something that you don’t know about your team.
“If we are not efficient, we will not be in the six. If we are, the only other team which has the culture of winning is Toulouse. But currently it is 70/30 against them, but if we reach the final, it will be 50/50 The other teams have not won titles and this liability will count in the rest of the competition.”
ROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish.
The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
ROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player.
He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal.
Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach.
Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
Sly dig there at Ireland’s propensity to back a non-Irish coach. Must really want it.
I’m not sure I like ROG very much. Comes off as unpleasant. But he’d gain my respect if he took a number 7 ranked team and turned them into WC winners. Not even back-to-back.
Argentina? Scotland? Or how about Wales? France would be too easy, no?