'I apologise': Ronan O'Gara explains post-match incident with Bath fans

Ronan O’Gara has apologised for any offence caused by his language after being approached by Bath fans following La Rochelle’s narrow 24-20 victory at The Rec in their Champions Cup opener on Friday night.

The former Ireland and Munster fly-half acknowledged that some Bath supporters were upset by comments made during the game.

“They [Bath fans] were giving out because our staff’s language wasn’t appropriate,” said O’Gara, who is known for his less-than-diplomatic behaviour on the sidelines.

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“I was in my bubble, so if my language was off, I apologise. Sometimes you lose some control, but that was a tame night for me! I’m pretty happy.

“We showed great character and resilience. The better team won.”

O’Gara’s sideline incidents as La Rochelle head coach include a 10-week ban in 2022 after clashing with officials during a Top 14 match against Lyon and a subsequent four-week suspension for comments about refereeing standards.

He’s also faced fines for touchline altercations, including a heated exchange with Toulon staff. He also had an infamous tunnel row with then Leinster flyhalf and old rival Johnny Sexton during the 2023 Champions Cup final.

The match saw La Rochelle take a considerable first-half lead with tries from Oscar Jegou, Reda Wardi, and Tawera Kerr-Barlow, along with three conversions and a penalty from Ihaia West. Bath staged an impressive second-half comeback however, scoring two converted tries through Tom Dunn and Quinn Roux to close the gap to just four points.

“We were clinical for 40 minutes. We have an exceptional driving maul, and then it was exceptional hands from Tawera Kerr-Barlow for his try,” said O’Gara.

“We then had a very poor first 10 minutes of the second half and put ourselves under unnecessary pressure, and we conceded a soft maul try.

“We should have been double figures better than Bath, but it was all about the win tonight.

“We have been terribly inconsistent, and we need to get our game going for more than 50 minutes.”

Bath did earn a losing bonus point but now face a challenging road to qualification. Their next pool fixture is away against Benetton in Italy, followed by games against Clermont Auvergne and Leinster in January.