“Folks possibly under-estimate Mike, and I don’t suppose they need to.”
Ronan O’Gara and Mike Prendergast’s rugby story intertwined, for the primary time, in 1995. O’Gara’s Presentation Brothers Faculty met a Crescent Faculty group that includes Prendergast and David Wallace within the Munster Senior Faculties Cup remaining.
Each faculties, one from Cork, the opposite Limerick, shared Senior Cup titles from 1989 by means of 1996. When O’Gara and Prendergast confronted off, at Musgrave Park, the Cork lads got here out on high, 14-7.
Six years later, with O’Gara on the sooner monitor, the pair had been reunited as Munster team-mates. Prendergast performed 48 senior matches for Munster, throughout two stints, and had spells in England and France. O’Gara received two European Cups with Munster, a Grand Slam with Ireland and toured thrice with the British & Irish Lions.
By the point O’Gara hung up his taking part in boots, in 2013, Prendergast was effectively down the teaching path, as director of rugby with Younger Munster. That very same 12 months, the chums set off for France and the world of top-level teaching. O’Gara headed to Paris and was expertise coach at Racing 92, underneath Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers. Prendergast got here in as Grenoble expertise and assault coach, underneath Bernard Jackman. To get himself again up to the mark with the French recreation, he even signed up for Fédérale 1 (French third division) rugby with Chambéry. “I met a few arduous nuts down there, I can inform ya.”
Inside 4 years, each males had been on the transfer. Prendergast took on the backs coach gig at Oyonnax, whereas O’Gara headed additional afield – to New Zealand. He labored underneath Scott Robertson as his dominant Crusaders swept to titles two and three of their Tremendous Rugby five-in-a-row (plus two Super Rugby Aotearoa titles in 2020 and 2021).
Between profitable with Munster in 2008 and once more in 2022, that was a very long time between drinks. As a sports activities particular person, let me inform ya, I used to be very thirsty!
By 2019, O’Gara had returned to France for a head coach function, underneath Jono Gibbes, at La Rochelle. Prendergast was now at Racing 92, after a season with Stade Français. By 2022, the Cork native had absolutely taken the reins (Gibbes departed in 2020) and was a European Cup-winning coach. “Between profitable with Munster in 2008 and once more in 2022, that was a very long time between drinks,” O’Gara displays. “And, as a sports activities particular person, let me inform ya, I used to be very thirsty!”
Prendergast returned to Munster, across the identical time, and was backs coach at his residence province, with Graham Rowntree within the high job. Inside 12 months, he was celebrating a United Rugby Championship title, whereas O’Gara was doubling down on Leinster’s heartbreak, en route to a different Champions Cup triumph.
The highs of 2023 had been changed with some crushing lows in 2024, notably a last-gasp La Rochelle defeat by Toulouse, within the Top 14 remaining. Munster reached the final 16 of the Champions Cup and the URC semi-finals, however by no means kicked on from ending their 12-year trophy drought. By October 2024, Rowntree was gone. Prendergast took on extra teaching obligations however, finally, misplaced out on the highest job to Clayton McMillan.
“I used to be dissatisfied, clearly,” Prendergast admitted, on Tuesday. “It didn’t occur now, however possibly someday down the long run it is going to.”
The next day, it was confirmed by the IRFU that Prendergast will probably be Eire’s assault coach for the senior facet’s end-of-season Exams towards Georgia and Portugal.
“Perhaps, from the surface, it’s a nice reward,” says O’Gara. “However Mike would have credentials to be the senior assault coach. I feel individuals possibly under-estimate Mike, and I don’t suppose they need to. So, with (lacking out on) the Munster job or Eire assault coach job (final 12 months), I feel he’d be dissatisfied. With out pushing his case an excessive amount of, he’s a top quality coach. On the opposite facet of it, possibly that is the minimal he deserves, to get his foot within the door and go on this journey.”
“That help means lots, particularly coming from somebody like ROG,” Prendergast instructed me. “He did it as a participant and has been doing it now, as a coach. It’s a pleasant factor to listen to and I used to be very grateful. It didn’t work out this time, however you may’t dwell on it an excessive amount of.”
It has been virtually 12 years since O’Gara and Prendergast moved to France with their younger households to make an honest crack at this teaching life.
I feel timing has an terrible lot to do with it…it doesn’t low cost something taking place sooner or later, with the province or with Eire.
Prendergast has been again at Munster for the heart of three eventful seasons. O’Gara has by no means regarded farther from returning to his residence province. Again in 2016, the dream situation for Munster followers had been O’Gara as backs coach and Paul O’Connell as forwards coach, with Anthony Foley retained within the high job. Rassie Erasmus then arrived, stirred souls, anointed Johann van Graan and left. O’Gara continued his schooling in France, obtained the decision from Robertson and by no means regarded again.
For O’Gara, if he ever decides to maneuver residence, it’s the nationwide job he desires. In Might 2023, after La Rochelle’s back-to-back Champions Cup wins, the 48-year-old instructed the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly, “Sure, after all I need to coach Eire, as effectively, however you’ve got to earn that proper.”
I requested Prendergast why his outdated buddy had by no means been tempted again to Munster. “ROG went to Racing, did very effectively, and has had an enormous profession over there,” he replied. “I feel (he hasn’t come again) for numerous causes. He’s with a membership that had been a whisker away from profitable the Prime 14, which is an enormous driver for him – profitable that. He’s received two Champions Cups within the final three years. So, you’re speaking a couple of very huge European powerhouse and he feels he’s proper in the midst of that, in the intervening time.
“With teaching, as with taking part in, I feel timing has an terrible lot to do with it. The time he’s in, proper now, is with La Rochelle, and he has constructed his profession proper as much as it. I’m certain, someday, if he feels there may be the chance, on the proper time, at residence, it’s one thing he’ll take a look at. Proper now, by way of his personal profession and his household being over there, it’s a must to take all these items into consideration. His youngsters are clearly at school, in France, and have their very own pursuits. That’s the place it’s at, nevertheless it doesn’t low cost something taking place sooner or later, with the province or with Eire.”
Given the significance of this Saturday’s Champions Cup last-16 conflict between La Rochelle and Munster, there was plenty of curiosity in media appearances from main figures from each side. Munster captain Tadhg Beirne commented: “La Rochelle’s success is a testomony to ROG and the work he has finished there. He has introduced delight to their fan-base and the rugby group. They stay for it. I’ve seen some pictures and movies, through the years, of them bringing silverware again, and the large crowds celebrating. It’s fairly particular.”
Jack Crowley, doing a publicity push for Pinergy (however with no Munster contract updates to supply), mirrored on O’Gara attempting to signal him for La Rochelle and his potential teaching return to Eire. “As a Munster man, he has a reference to the membership that he’ll hold without end,” stated Crowley. “However I can’t communicate for ROG’s ambitions or aspirations, so that you’ll must ask him your self.”
Handily sufficient, I’m able to ask O’Gara. He was sometimes thought-about and sincere along with his response. “Would you ever see your self, possibly down the road, ever going again to Munster?” I enquire.
“I don’t suppose so, no,” O’Gara replies.
Folks again in Eire could not admire… yeah, possibly they do admire it, after what we’ve finished, however it is a big membership.
“I’m with a membership, right here, that may be a huge membership – one of many greatest in Europe. Yeah, it’s going by means of a sticky patch on the minute, doubtless. That occurs in cycles; it occurs in sport. After you have an setting and a brains belief that hold desirous to get higher, which (chief government) Pierre Venayre and (chairman) Vincent Merling need to do, it will get me excited to construct a squad.
“We’ve made some signings for subsequent 12 months… now, that’s too early to discuss. There are definitely weaknesses in our set-up, however we are able to eradicate them. Folks again in Eire could not admire… yeah, possibly they do admire it, after what we’ve finished, however it is a big membership.”
Up to now two seasons, O’Gara didn’t disguise behind coy statements or dismiss hyperlinks when requested about head coach jobs with Eire, France, Australia, Wales and England. “I’d prefer to win a World Cup,” he instructed RMC Radio, in April 2024. “I dream of profitable issues, whether or not that’s with Eire or France. I prefer it.”
With La Rochelle struggling, by his personal admission, this season – 13 defeats in 24 video games general, and mendacity tenth within the Prime 14 – O’Gara has now parked all of the worldwide rugby hypothesis. He’s contracted with La Rochelle till 2027 and, he insists, will probably be honouring that contract.
Levani Botia feels the Irishman shouldn’t be so fast to position all of the blame of Stade Rochelais’ faltering season at his personal door. “The coaches are doing their jobs,” the Fijian says, “and it’s for us, as gamers, to do ours on the sector. We’re those that should execute their game-plans. Typically there may be plenty of give attention to the coaches, as a result of we misplaced some video games, however we’ve to be robust as a group to again them up.”
The ultimate phrase goes to O’Gara, as he searches for a spark. The sight of Munster purple may be gas for the hearth, however not an excessive amount of.
“One of many nice learnings for me,” he says, “was that we misplaced the European Cup from being too emotional, in 2000. All of us cried our eyes out, the evening earlier than, documenting to one another what it meant to play for Munster. Then, the subsequent day, you’re empty.
“It has been an awesome factor, with going to New Zealand. These guys channel their vitality and feelings differently, and also you choose up learnings there. You see guys that mess earlier than video games, and aren’t severe, however who’re then in a position to change it, ? Everyone seems to be totally different. It is determined by their background and their upbringing, their schooling, what works for them. You’ve simply obtained to know what being your self seems like, for each totally different particular person. And it’s all very totally different. After you have that, it’s simply letting individuals be themselves.
There will probably be some environment within the floor, outdoors the bottom and within the city. There will probably be good craic. The place will probably be hopping.
“However by way of the opposition and this recreation, should you’re to take a minute, or 5, to replicate, it’s a incredible story. It’s the 2 groups which have given me essentially the most in rugby – Munster and La Rochelle – arising towards one another. Yeah, there will probably be a training workers and one set of supporters that will probably be dissatisfied. However it’s a huge alternative for seeing how good the sport of rugby may be.
“I can assure you, they’ll all get on very well, and there will probably be some environment within the floor, outdoors the bottom and within the city. There will probably be good craic. The place will probably be hopping. It is going to be buzzing. The forecast is supposed to be good. The rain isn’t meant to come back. And if the 2 groups can play as much as scratch, we all know how aggressive Munster are and the way assured they’re, after the weekend. We’re on the reverse finish of the dimensions, however big-game gamers have an enormous recreation in them. That’s what I’m banking on, this weekend.”
When pressed on this match which means extra, O’Gara agrees.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s a love story. It positively is.”
