RONAN O’GARA SAYS he is not interested in replacing Graham Rowntree as Munster boss and that he is unlikely to ever return to his native province in a head-coaching role.
O’Gara, who is contracted to La Rochelle until 2027, wrote in his Irish Examiner column that he hoped his next job would be in test rugby.
The longtime Munster and Ireland out-half stressed his belief that Munster’s solution was “already in the building” in the shape of his former teammates Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy.
O’Gara backed Munster’s current backs and defence coaches to lead the province into the future with the help of an additional, more seasoned figure.
“The news on Graham’s departure shocked me,” O’Gara said. “I didn’t expect that. There is a human side to it. I’m not sure how aligned Rowntree and his staff were. Only the people in the building know what’s going on. We on the outside don’t have a clue, really.
The greatest days of my rugby life were in that Munster top but I’m not interested in the Munster head coach role. Not now and hardly in the future.
O’Gara added that “the competitor in me demands that I try and win a Bouclier here (at La Rochelle) and another Champions Cup with it. And I feel I have a better chance of doing that with La Rochelle than with Munster.
“Anyone who would suggest that taking Munster now at a low ebb is a smart play doesn’t know Munster, doesn’t know me and does both a disservice.”
O’Gara, who won two European Cups with Munster as a player and has added two more during his spell in charge of Les Rochelais, insisted that Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy should step into more senior roles with Munster and that the southern province should recruit a more experienced figure to complement that prospective coaching tandem.
The Cork man rejected the idea that Prendergast “would not be strong enough or is not blockbuster enough” to take on the boss’ role with his native province, backing the former scrum-half to become director of rugby in a move that would require a transformation of Munster’s existing coaching structure.
O’Gara reiterated on several occasions, however, that trouble behind the scenes and financial pressures pre-dated even the Graham Rowntree era, describing the dynamic between Munster and Leinster as now being akin to that of an English Championship football club and a European giant.
“These are turbulent times, but the solution for their next head coach is already in the building with a combo of Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy,” O’Gara said.
“Plus there is a possible add of someone else with gravitas and judgement, an elder lemon.
“Prendy has been on the road for 11 years, cultivating his rugby knowledge around France to get it to a level commensurate with the duties and role of a head coach. He knows rugby inside out, he knows Munster inside out, that’s why it works.
“Some will be of the misconception that he would not be strong enough or is not blockbuster enough to be a numero uno. Believe me he is more than strong enough to be the boss.
“Where I would potentially see a third person is as a sounding board with Leamy and himself. But Prendy as the director of rugby. Munster will be better if Leamy and Prendergast are given more control. Felix Jones has been mentioned but is less experienced than Prendergast.
“Of course, the Munster elephant in the room is that the current instability has very little to do with who’s coaching the team.
“There are financial and environmental issues that pre-date Graham Rowntree’s time, and when you wash in some inter-personal stuff into that mix, it all has the feel of disarray.
“In purely economic terms, a fact not lost on the departing head coach, Munster and Leinster has the feel (if not quite the look) of Cardiff City against Manchester City.”
Imagine going from working with Alldrit, Skelton and Antonio to Coombes, Wycherly and Archer. Don’t blame him there
@Eoin H: you just randomly picked 3 players there to suit your argument. You could have said Beirne, Crowley and Ahern – that sounds better . No doubt that LRo have deeper pockets and better chance of winning silverware. IRFU need to think outside box in terms of raising level of all the provinces
@Michael Corkery: Haters gonna hate… French Clubs about to go ‘public sector’ anyway, RoG has maybe 2 seasons before their telling him what he can and cant do with his players.
@Michael Corkery: Interestingly he picked the 3 players feom LaR that might be the worst to work with. Aldritt is a trouble making manbaby, Skelton spends more time on the treatment table than the pitch and Antonio might be gone next year, or he might be back, or he might be gone… oh red card, definitely gone!!
@Michael Corkery: irfu need root and branch clear out in my view.
If they go down a DOR route (effectively promoting Leamy and Prendergast) they really should be seeing if Conor O’Shea would be interested.
@cian nolan: Not sure about Conor O’Shea. What about Declan Kidney as DOR & MP as Head Coach?
@Paul Ennis: The Cork lads wont like Prendie, but not sure about Kidney (class coach tho).
O’Gara was never taking that Munster job. He’s at a club with one of the biggest budgets in world rugby, no way he was going to a club with no money to spend. Easier to get the cheque book out and sign Will Skelton rather than having to coach 36 year old John Ryan or Archer. Munster need to get away from this jobs for the boys culture. Prendergast and Leamy are every bit as responsible for this mess as Rowntree. The defence has been a shambles under Leamy.
@Aidan Farrell: good man Aidan/Ray, mighty at the pointing out the negatives….any fear you’d provide us all with what you think is a practical solution given the financial constraints at Munster right now
@Aidan Farrell: I am not sure the “mess” is as bad as you think. Top of the URC last year and the toughest of starts this year. It sounds like GR had developed a few toxic relationships with a few players but also with the powers that be in Lansdowne Road. Leamy was a good coach for Leinster, but a very inexperienced coach who requires a guiding hand. Prendergast has the Munster attack running better than it has for 15 years. I don’t necessarily think that clearing house will do Munster any service at all. And what is wrong witb having Munster boys in tbe coaching roles?
@anthony davoren: “Munster Rugby in a really good place financially”.. https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-41415190.html
Very interesting read. Puts it all out there about the underlying issues.
It’s a bit of a poison chalice what ever way you look at it.
@brian o’leary: huh it’s an opportunity. If the next coach was coming into a Man City it’s much harder to get 5% more on top of a 85% high performing team. Coming into a team that could and have the capacity to be a Man City but are performing at 50% is easier ? No ?
@Joe Duffy: sorry Joe, the glass is half empty on this one.
@brian o’leary: so with “whatever way you look at it” you meant “looking at the glass half empty”?
@Petter Sellberg: what ever way I look at it , I’m pessimistic about munster getting back to where they were, even heineken cup quarters or semi finals are a stretch. Those expectations make the job a bit of a poison chalice?
@Petter Sellberg: Perception is a mf’r really, people understand information in wildly different ways. It’s both a “poison challis” and an opportunity at the same time, for a coach this is all part of the game so they would probably see it as opportunity, RoG is correct that with his trajectory this would be a step in the wrong direction to secure test level positions. Undoubtedly one of the best coaches in the game, there is no ‘opportunity’ there for him. This year would be great to qualify for Europe and Munster can still have a decent season (looking at the next few fixtures it could be after the holidays lol). Next season? Or after that, who knows. No one.
And there you have it. O’Gara knows Munster inside out. If anyone has a spare tenner, get down to bookies quick and put it on Prendergast!!
@Paul Ennis: I would like to see prendy as head coach but being a limerickman, the powers that be in cork won’t allow that !!!!!
@Lulu: absolute horse manure comment smacking of small mindedness
@Eamon Holly: Nah it’s right on the money.
@Paul Ennis: well Paul you may be right with the bet, but really it sounds like like very good advice and direction. ROG would only say that for the sake of what he personally thinks what’s best for Munster and where can Munster get free advice from a proven world class coach who knows the club personally.
@Thesaltyurchin: so over the last 15 years Munster rugby has moved its primary stadium to limerick, its training base, its academy and plays the odd dead rubber in cork and you think the “powers that be” from cork won’t endorse a limerick born coach? Delusional.
@Cormac O’Hare: They might, but rugby politics is worse than the regular kind! Also they never ‘moved to Limerick’.. its was always Limerick ;)
Why would he leave La Rochelle, what a place to live, this freezing oily rock of bitterness will never see him back.
@Thesaltyurchin: you reallly need to see a head doctor after this comment. Is it really that terrible first you hee? Jesus ….. some put down on your own country. Travel a bit and see if you view the world the same way after. Not perfect here (nowhere is) but as good a place as any I have seen . I’ve lived in Europe, North America and Asia before you ask.
@JJB: Just how I see it JB, was away 20 years, came back 6 years ago… same problems, and zero infrastructure, place in a worse state than before. Bunch of lazy jokers imo. That aside I spent a few summers on the west coast of France, absolutely stunning place. Anywhere you can think of would have trouble competing.
Next Taoiseach ? Has the political acumen for it .
@Joe Duffy: don’t associate yourself with failure?
I’d be inclined to trust that O’Gara is talking straight here rather than being media friendly for old pals, but it doesn’t add up. Not saying Rowntree has zero blame for Munster’s form, but these are the two lads in charge of how players execute defense and attack patterns – and this season they’ve made an artform out of falling off tackles, failing to secure ruck ball, and allowing teams to convert errors into turnover tries. I know both have had success elsewhere – hopefully I’m wrong and the lads just need a kick up the arse (and some of MJ’s magic water from Spacejam for the injury list..).