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What banned Ronan O'Gara made of Leinster's win over La Rochelle
By Ian Cameron
Disappointed La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara has billed Leinster versus La Rochelle as the ‘new classic’ of European rugby following his side’s nailbiting 16-9 home defeat in the opening round of the Investec Champions Cup.
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The encounter – played amid pouring rain at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre – saw a determined Leinster side keen on overcoming past European heartbreaks at the hands of La Rochelle, who they hadn’t beaten in three attempts.
While the Irish avenged the last two final losses against La Rochelle, O’Gara’s side were left to lick their wounds. Currently sitting 9th in the Top 14, Les Maritimes were very much in need of a bounce but it wasn’t to be against their biggest European rivals.
O’Gara – who was banned from the sidelines for the match – acknowledged that the weather conditions played a significant role in the proceeding while also praising Leinster scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park for his game management.
“The conditions are not like today. It’s not an excuse, but I think my team likes to play when the ball is dry. But we also need to have a game plan for winter. Gibson-Park controlled the match well and kept us under pressure with his kicking game.
“Leinster have pride, and we won the last three games against them. They said: “We’re done, we’re tired of this!” They are the ones who win today, but it creates conditions for the next time, if there is a next time.
“We don’t capitalize,” bemoaned the Cork man when reflecting on La Rochelle’s lack of execution. “It was a fairly close match, but with a lot of inaccuracy on our part. We are disappointed, but the best team won. I have to say congratulations to Leinster. We had opportunities to win, but that’s the elite level.
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O’Gara suggested La Rochelle could learn from the match.
“There are some good lessons to learn from our performance tonight, but maybe it will help us for the future… These are mistakes which are costly at this level, and this was the case today. I am able to note five actions where we are less than five meters from the Leinster goal. But we don’t capitalize.
“Now it’s Leinster who leaves with a good victory. La Rochelle against Leinster, I believe there is a new classic in European rugby.
“After the very good start to our second half, I thought it was Leinster who were going to collapse, but it was us who collapsed after 71 minutes,” he noted. “Perhaps we need to look at why we are kicking, why we are not taking the three points. But that is always a discussion with the leaders. I always said when I was 10 that we had to respect the instincts of the players on the pitch. But tonight, it didn’t work too well. That’s how sport is, we have to accept and refocus on something else.”
They're set to meet again, I'd wager. We'll see if psychology comes to play a role.