Pour O'Gara, les sifflets du Leinster sont « un minimum »
Largement hué par les supporteurs du Leinster, la semaine dernière lors du quart de finale de la Champions Cup à l’Aviva Stadium (victoire des Irlandais 40-13), Ronan O’Gara est revenu sur cet épisode. Le boss de La Rochelle s’est déclaré « pas sensible » à l’accueil glacial qu’il a reçu.
L’ancien ouvreur n’a jamais été populaire parmi les fidèles du Leinster car il a évolué toute sa carrière sous les couleurs rouges du rival, le Munster. Et la relation a encore pris du plomb dans l’aile depuis quelques années, le Stade Rochelais privant la franchise irlandaise de deux trophées européens (victoire rochelaise en finale, en 2022 et 2023) sous les ordres d’O’Gara.
Pour pimenter un peu plus la sauce, l’ancien demi d’ouverture de l’Irlande s’est retrouvé impliqué dans diverses polémiques avec le Leinster hors terrain. On a en mémoire l’embrouille entre le coach rochelais et Johnny Sexton à la mi-temps de la finale 2023, qui avait poussé l’EPCR à diligenter une enquête.
Alan Quilan, ancien coéquipier d’O’Gara au Munster et en équipe d’Irlande, a déclaré dans l’émission Off the Ball, cette semaine, que les huées de l’Aviva à destination de l’entraîneur des Maritimes, le week-end dernier, ne l’avaient pas surpris.
O’Gara lui-même, invité vendredi du podcast, a réagi à ce ‘traitement de faveur’. Il a affirmé qu’il n’avait pas été perturbé du tout par la réaction du public, jugeant que cela arrive quand on joue « au plus haut niveau ». Il n’a toutefois pas tardé à dégainer sa riposte, pointant du doigt les « énormes douleurs » infligées par son équipe aux joueurs du Leinster et à leurs fans, depuis quelques années.
« Ce n’était pas juste quelques salves de huées, j’ai eu droit à des huées retentissantes, et c’est là le plus beau des compliments », s’est félicité O’Gara qui, à 47 ans, en a vu d’autres.
« Il n’y a pas de raison de se formaliser là-dessus, c’est ce qui arrive quand on évolue au plus haut niveau. »
« J’entraîne une équipe française qui joue contre une équipe irlandaise, une équipe qui leur a infligé d’énormes douleurs, c’était bien le minimum. »
« Il n’y a pas de problème, c’est ce qui arrive. Cela ne me touche pas. »
« J’admire leurs joueurs et leur staff. J’étais dans leurs vestiaires après le match, ils ont vraiment un bon groupe. »
« C’est juste qu’il n’y avait pas la place pour les deux équipes. On essaie de gagner, ils essaient aussi de gagner et cette fois ils ont été meilleurs que nous ».
Prochain épisode de la rivalité ASR – Leinster la saison prochaine.
Comments on RugbyPass
He got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
8 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
3 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
21 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
8 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
84 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
8 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
8 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
8 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
84 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
1 Go to commentsI’d be fascinated to see what other candidates you all might have for the Lions captaincy role. Let me know, below 👍
2 Go to comments“ planning for the next cycle….” Sigh ill-advised language Elton old juice bean. Ppersonally glad you self-eliminated yourself, there were better players in the position around you.
4 Go to commentsRegardless of best in world etc. Lawes was outstanding against Leinster and has been all season. Looked like three try saving turnovers. His turnovers also contributed to NH scores. Immense performance.
2 Go to commentsDickson now considered the top ref in England it appears. Good that these series are getting one NH and one SH ref.
2 Go to commentsI don’t think any coach or selector would ever rely on Blackadder being available for selection. I didn’t think it would be possible but he has easily eclipsed Ennor as they most injured player of all time. IMO a symptom of today’s game where players are required to carry at least 10kg of extra mass from when they first hit the scene in their early 20s. Some players respond well to this, maybe due to genetics allowing them to recover faster, or not having reached their peak natural weight yet, but for others the constant training to maintain their weight eats away at recovery time and they spend most of their careers injured.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the lesson Nick! I presume that targeting gaps is situational because if a ball carrier straightens the line they can't be allowed a gap to run into? It feels like you need depth if you're going to pass it wide and plenty of variety - straight running, kicks just in behind, cross kicks etc. BTW what an incredible bench Toulouse had this week. People complain about Leinster being stacked but they need to be at the very highest level.
21 Go to comments2015 was by far the best team. They have had many good backlines over the years but the 2015 team was one of the few to have an absolute world class forward pack - all of them international quality. 6 ABs, 1 future English player, and one that would have gone on to ABs had he not been forced to retire due to concussion. This current team doesn’t have the same size and experience at lock, but providing they can keep this many talented young players (who have all significantly increased their profile this year) together for another 2 years they could eclipse the 2015 team.
3 Go to commentsAnd I’ve just seen RA has topped up the offer to Paisami and extended it beyond 3 years and he’s signed. Great news
84 Go to commentsInteresting watching Amaua starting to fire. No idea why he was pulled so early against the Reds.
4 Go to comments