DIGESTING THE DISAPPOINTMENT of a frustrating season in Europe for La Rochelle, assistant coach Donnacha Ryan took a moment to reflect on the challenges facing another club close to his heart.

Ryan spent 13 years playing for Munster, during which time he won two league medals and one European Cup.

The current group look a long way off such glory days, exiting the Challenge Cup against Exeter last weekend after a worrying run of results, which came alongside news that Munster will be seeking voluntary redundancies as financial pressures take their toll.

“I won’t lie, I’m not as massively up to speed, but it’s very sad to see. You hate seeing it,” said Ryan, speaking after La Rochelle’s 41-24 loss to Ulster.

“And I know, players as well, they’re very aware of what’s going on and obviously look, when stuff is (tough), the players take control as well, that kind of the spearheads the whole thing really.

“It’s sad to see and you just sort of hope that the lads can turn it around I suppose, that’s pretty much it. But at the moment we’ve to concentrate on ourselves really to be honest.”

As Ryan says, he has enough on his plate with La Rochelle. On Friday night Ronan O’Gara’s young side were beaten by Ulster in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals, meaning their attention now hones in on a challenging Top14 run-in.

La Rochelle are currently ninth in the Top14 table and face a fight to reach the playoffs, with their next game a home meeting with Bordeaux-Begles.

In the Champions Cup, La Rochelle lost three of their four pool games, dropping into the Challenge Cup where they beat Newcastle in the round of 16 before last night’s loss in Belfast.

Ronan O'Gara's side lost in Belfast on Friday. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

Along the way they’ve had to deal with a heavy injury list, with as many as 15 players sidelined.

“We’re ferocious disappointed with Europe, we put in a really good performance against Leinster, kind of let it get away and then the following week we just didn’t perform,” Ryan said.

“The big thing for us this year, and even last year, the amount of injuries we have had has been incredible, and unfortunately for us the way the Top14 is, it’s one of the best leagues in the world and if you’re not on your game you’re going to get shown up, it’s a physical league.

“You saw again, a lot of younger guys, our front row all maybe 19, 20, 21, it’s great exposure for them and they’re having to go up against really big guys in Top14.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t like to be in the position we’re in, but I know the lads are going to show up with massive character, they’re gonna learn a lot from the season and definitely they’d be ready to take on the challenge next week against Bordeaux.

We know the quality of the group that we have, and it’s just getting them on the pitch and then all fit, that’s the biggest challenge we’ve had so far.”

Overall, Ryan says he’s still loving life in France, joining O’Gara’s coaching team in 2021 and helping the club land two Champions Cup titles.

The former Munster and Ireland lock took post-match press duties alongside La Rochelle tighthead Joel Sclavi last night, and spoke of how the multi-cultural makeup of the group differs from his Munster days.

“It’s great. Really enjoy it, it was a bit of a baptism of fire at the beginning, but guys like this (Sclavi), they’re brilliant, very helpful to me, just the wealth of experience we have with lots of different cultures, there’s Georgians, we’ve South Africans and obviously French, and old token Paddy with Ultan (Dillane) and then Argentinians and it’s great.

“It’s just the mix of cultures and stuff, it’s brilliant. Joel’s brilliant at cooking barbecues and he loves that, it’s great.

“I think because we’re not all from La Rochelle, the lads make a huge effort to meet up an awful lot, and it’s something you realise in Munster it was probably very easy just to drop back into your own personal life, friends and stuff, but the lads make a huge effort and this guy’s head of the social committee, so he’s very good at that.

“But it’s such a massive learning curve, really out of my comfort zone as well, but as I said, having guys like this guy here beside me and a lot of other guys in the group, you’re not going to work every day.”

It hasn’t been the season La Rochelle hoped for, but Ryan is confident the group have what it takes to get back to the top table.

“I know looking at the lads, even the younger guys, there’s a massive drive there and that’s contagious for the whole group. That’s the most important thing.

“But yeah, certainly that’s where we want to be. That’s where everyone every club wants to be, at the top level.”