Ronan O'Gara shares Munster Rugby final experiences with La Rochelle players

LA Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara has been drawing on his own European Cup final experiences as a player with Munster Rugby as he prepares his charges for their maiden Heineken Champions Cup decider at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

Forty four-year-old former Munster out-half O'Gara, still holder of the competition’s records for points and appearances, lost two finals with the province – in 2000 and 2002 – before collecting winners’ medals in 2006 and 2008 with them.

“A good student, a good player is open to how other people have failed,” he told the EPCR website this week.

“The boys here would know how I failed in my first [Heineken] Champions Cup final when I was really, really poor.

“For them to know that it’s OK to fail – and they’ve seen their coach fail many a time – that means that hopefully they can see this guy is vulnerable.

“If the guys feel that they can trust me, then I’m sure that will make for a deeper bond between me and the players. That’s very important, because it’s a long journey we’ve been on.

“It has felt that we’ve been in a good dynamic and we’ve been enjoying it. You’ve got to try and mix their forces together, get them playing for each other. But that’s easy. I like to create a collaborative atmosphere where you have to respect what your ball-players want.”

O'Gara is thrilled to be in his first European final as a head coach this weekend, having experienced TOP 14 success with Racing 92 as an assistant coach in 2016 and lifted Super Rugby titles with Crusaders as backs coach in 2018 and 2019.

“It’s new territory, but it’s very exciting,” he commented. “I’m lucky to get to work with guys who are some of the best players in France, but also from around the world. It really makes me appreciate my job.

“I’m very proud of what this club has done and the opportunity it’s given me. But there’s a game to play and you know I’m in it to win. I’m not in it to partake.”

O’Gara highlighted elusive South Africa wing Cheslin Kolbe and super-talented France scrum-half Antoine Dupont as Toulouse’s main threats as they bid for a record fifth European crown.

“With Kolbe and Dupont, they’ve two players with the biggest X-factor in world rugby,” he pointed out. “All of a sudden, there’s no danger, the next second you’re under your posts.

“Even at Test level, there are very few teams that have a Kolbe and a Dupont in the same team. There isn’t a team that’s more deadly with the ball.”