Ronan O’Gara ‘not interested’ in the Munster job and believes Graham Rowntree’s replacement is ‘in the building’
La Rochelle boss Ronan O'Gara and an insert of former Munster head coach Graham Rowntree.
Legendary Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara says that he is not interested in replacing Graham Rowntree as Munster head coach.
The Irish province made the shock announcement earlier this week that Rowntree would be stepping down from his position with immediate effect after a slow start to the United Rugby Championship (URC) season.
Rowntree’s shock departure
Heading into the international break, Munster sit in 12th place on the overall URC table after winning just two games after six rounds.
Still, many were stunned by the announcement, particularly with the success Rowntree has enjoyed with the squad winning the URC title in his first season in charge and reaching the semi-finals the following year.
The former England prop has already vacated the position with Head of Rugby Operations Ian Costello taking over as Interim Head Coach with his first match in charge being against the All Blacks XV on Saturday.
Following the news of Rowntree’s departure, fans immediately dropped O’Gara’s name as a potential replacement considering his legendary status at Munster and his coaching pedigree since hanging up his boots.
O’Gara joined Racing 92’s coaching team following his retirement before heading to the Crusaders where he won two Super Rugby titles with the side as part of Scott Robertson’s coaching team. However, his biggest success has been at La Rochelle where he has won back-to-back Champions Cup titles as well as a Top 14 trophy.
Munster announce shock ‘immediate’ departure of Graham Rowntree after a slow start to URC
O’Gara is ‘not interested’ in the Munster job
The former playmaker is contracted to La Rochelle until 2027 and states that his future medium-term future lies there, adding that the answer to who Munster’s next head coach should be is already in the building.
“The news on Graham’s departure shocked me. I didn’t expect that,” O’Gara wrote in his Irish Examiner column.
“There is a human side to it. I’m not sure how aligned Rowntree and his staff were. Only the people in the building know what’s going on. We on the outside don’t have a clue, really.”
The La Rochelle boss believes that being the head coach at Munster is still a “great job” but adds that the team is “on its knees at the minute” and with him being contract until 2027, he is eyeing up a move into the international game as his next gig.
“The greatest days of my rugby life were in that Munster top but I’m not interested in the Munster head coach role,” he added.
“Not now and hardly in the future. For starters I am contracted to La Rochelle until 2027, the competitor in me demands that I try and win a Bouclier here and another Champions Cup with it. And I feel I have a better chance of doing that with La Rochelle than with Munster.
“Anyone who would suggest that taking Munster now at a low ebb is a smart play doesn’t know Munster, doesn’t know me and does both a disservice. Why would you take over any job? Because you think you could do better. The game of life is you against you, not anyone else. Munster is in my heart but not my head now. Besides, I would hope my next coaching move is into the Test arena.”
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“Next head coach is already in the building”
Still, O’Gara believes that Munster do not need to look far for Rowntree’s replacement and has strongly backed Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy.
“The solution for their next head coach is already in the building with a combo of Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy. Plus there is a possible add of someone else with gravitas and judgement, an elder lemon,” he wrote.
“Prendy has been on the road for eleven years, cultivating his rugby knowledge around France to get it to a level commensurate with the duties and role of a head coach. He knows rugby inside out, he knows Munster inside out, that’s why it works… Where I would potentially see a third person is as a sounding board with Leamy and himself. But Prendy as the director of rugby. Munster will be better if Leamy and Prendergast are given more control. Felix Jones has been mentioned but is less experienced than Prendergast.”
