O'Gara's a step closer to French return as La Rochelle confirm Garbajosa exit
Ronan O’Gara have moved a step closer to a return to club coaching in France after La Rochelle officially confirmed that Montpellier target Xavier Garbajosa is leaving.
Despite enjoying success at the Super Rugby Crusaders, the former Racing assistant has been angling for a return to the French game and Garbajosa’s imminent departure has opened the door for O’Gara to work under Jono Gibbes 10 years after they clashed in one of the most high profile European Cup games ever.
New Zealander Gibbes was assistant to Michael Cheika at Leinster when they dethroned O’Gara’s Munster as European champions in a semi-final that took place in front of an attendance of 82,000 at Dublin’s Croke Park.
Firmly on opposite sides back then, the old adversaries will now likely pair up at last week’s beaten Challenge Cup finalists La Rochelle, the club Gibbes took charge of last November after he quit Ulster and spent a short time at home working in New Zealand.
O’Gara is believed to have agreed a three-year deal that will see him leave the Crusaders following a two-season stint in Christchurch.
Le Stade Rochelais et Xavier Garbajosa ont résilié d'un commun accord leur engagement réciproque à compter du 1er juillet 2019. https://t.co/BRjI8UwlY0
— Stade Rochelais (@staderochelais) May 13, 2019
The former Ireland out-half spent four years as assistant coach at Racing before switching to New Zealand. However, having initially been touted for a possible freelance role with France at the 2019 World Cup, O’Gara is now poised to re-emerge at Top 14 level with a club that has massive ambitions of making a title breakthrough in the near future.
The Irishman, who is currently in South Africa with the Crusaders, had said in April about the France national team approach: “There was one or two approaches from an agent, that’s as far we’ve got. As anyone knows I have an amount of work to do here, which is really important to me, and if there is anything Razor (Robertson) and the Crusaders would be the first to know about it.”
WATCH: Part five of The Academy, the RugbyPass documentary on the Leicester Tigers
Comments on RugbyPass
Hopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
1 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
71 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
71 Go to commentsYep, lost in translation. There are arrogant people in Ireland, yes. As there are arrogant people in every country, but as a nation, arrogance is not a general characteristic in Ireland. There has not really had a strong representation for any global sport over the years, and hence arrogance is not endemic to Irish people in this regard. I seriously doubt that was said or meant by 12 or 13 players. If it was said, it would have been said in jest and to pay Etzebeth and the Springboks a compliment for how hard fought the game was.
71 Go to commentsOne of the few Bidwell articles I can agree with. If coaches played their players through niggles and consistently played them 80mins then you could make an argument for resting protocols - they obviously don’t and are incredibly responsible, let’s give up the resting nonsense and let the boys play.
4 Go to commentsDaniel Gallan, please for the love of all that is holy, stop writing about rugby. Or at the very least stop telling people you are South African.
21 Go to commentsThis Dr.Rassie 6-2 filth is spreading. We need to ask World Rugby to ban something
1 Go to commentsPity he couldn’t call him a liar to his face, such a brave man.
71 Go to comments“You ain’t counting to 12 or 13 straight after a game, son!” Just because you don’t doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t “I reckon if anyone said it they would have said, ‘Hopefully, see you in the final’.” Oh, you “reckon”, do you? You weren’t there, you weren’t part of the conversation but you know what was said… Id10T
71 Go to commentsNZ has such a rich history of quality number nines, and woman beaters.
1 Go to commentsThat’s what happens when you are scared of scrums
3 Go to comments