'Huge failure' - Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle future questioned after shock defeat

Ronan O’Gara’s future at La Rochelle has come under renewed scrutiny after the two-time champions were dumped out of the Investec Champions Cup by Harlequins and sent tumbling into the Challenge Cup.

The 27-17 defeat at Stade Marcel Deflandre on Sunday night not only ended La Rochelle’s European campaign at the pool stage, it sharpened the focus on a side that has struggled to recapture its authority over the last two seasons.

French website RugbyRama described the result as a ‘huge failure’.

Harlequins defied their own domestic malaise to deliver a composed and gutsy performance. Despite England fly-half Marcus Smith spending ten minutes in the sin bin for a high tackle on Jules Favre, the visitors kept their nerve when it mattered most.

With the scores locked at 17-17 heading into the final ten minutes, it was Tom Lawday who struck the decisive blow, storming over down the right wing after a long, flat pass from Jarrod Evans put him into space. Smith converted and later added a penalty to seal the win, earning man-of-the-match honours.

Investec Champions Cup

Pool 1

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Glasgow

3

3

0

0

15

2

Toulouse

4

2

2

0

12

3

Sale

4

2

2

0

11

4

Saracens

3

2

1

0

10

5

Sharks

4

2

2

0

10

6

Clermont

4

0

4

0

0

Pool 2

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Bath

4

3

1

0

16

2

Toulon

4

3

1

0

14

3

Castres

4

2

2

0

10

4

Edinburgh

4

2

2

0

10

5

Munster

4

1

3

0

8

6

Gloucester

4

1

3

0

6

Pool 3

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Leinster

4

4

0

0

18

2

Harlequins

4

3

1

0

15

3

Stormers

4

3

1

0

14

4

Leicester

4

1

3

0

6

5

Stade Rochelais

4

1

3

0

6

6

Bayonne

4

0

4

0

0

Pool 4

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Bordeaux

4

4

0

0

20

2

Northampton

4

3

1

0

16

3

Bristol

4

3

1

0

14

4

Bulls

4

1

3

0

7

5

Pau

4

1

3

0

6

6

Scarlets

4

0

4

0

3

The result secures Harlequins home advantage in the round of 16 and leaves them second in Pool Three behind Leinster. For La Rochelle, it was a sobering end to a competition they once dominated.

Eyes will now be very much on O’Gara, who is understood to have had recent discussions with the club management about his future on the west coast of France, despite his contract not running out until 2027.

One X user summed up the mood bluntly: “I’m sure Ronan O’Gara is a God in La Rochelle but you’d wonder how much credit he has in the bank. They had that awful run last season. This year, that’s 3 wins out of the last 10, only 1 point picked up in the final 2 Champions Cup games, now knocked out & 7th in the league”.

Another wrote: “Maybe Quins want O’Gara as their new DOR – cause you’d imagine crashing out of Champions Cup and current league position probably brings an end to his time at La Rochelle.”

The 48-year-old, who guided the club to back-to-back Champions Cup titles in 2022 and 2023, has recently been linked with the vacant All Blacks head coach role. On current evidence, that talk looks ambitious. The Corkman – who publicly turned down Wales and Wallabies gigs in recent years, has also been mentioned as a possible successor at Leinster, Munster and Andy Farrell’s Ireland.

“I have no doubt that ROG [Ronan O’Gara] would take the job,” said former Grenoble head coach Bernard Jackman when talking about the possibility of O’Gara taking over from Leinster head coach Leo Cullen down the track on The 42 podcast. “I think he would see the opportunity to win things with Leinster. I don’t think he’d give a shit that he played for Munster. He’s a coach of the world. He’s coached two clubs in France, he’s coached in New Zealand.

“If the [Leinster] job was up for grabs, I would be absolutely shocked if he wasn’t on a short list of three.”