Ronan O’Gara: ‘The best thing I ever did was sign Will Skelton’

Former British and Irish Lions fly-half Ronan O’Gara has hailed Wallabies lock Will Skelton, whom he coaches at French Top 14 club La Rochelle.

O’Gara lured the second rower to the French club from Saracens in 2020, with the pair enjoying immense success since winning two Investec Champions Cup titles.

Skleton made a timely return for Australia to take a place in the Wallabies starting XV for the second Test of the Lions series, and commenting before the match, the legendary Ireland fly-half revealed how the lock shifted his view on the game away from an all-out winning approach.

O’Gara hails Will Skelton

“Speaking to a lot of players as a young coach, you really want them to be focused on winning, and I thought that what it is all about,” O’Gara said on Sky Sports.

“Will pulled me aside one day and he said, ‘Coach, I’m not actually that much into winning. I’m into creating memories. I’m into making my teammates play better, feel better.’

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“He’s huge on family, his wife, Kate, is obviously has a massive influence on what he does and how he operates.

“Every Friday at the club set up, he’ll have either have pear of crumble, brownies, or muffins – he has all the top baking done for all the boys.

“He will bring it in and that just epitomises what he is. He has that Polynesian background as well with New Zealand and Australia, but he’s got a heart the size of the room, and he means so much to anyone who’s crossed his path.

“And sometimes you think that you’re doing a good job as a coach, but the best thing I ever did was sign Will Skelton.

“So, I’m excited to see him play tonight, even though obviously he’s in the wrong colour, but it’s so fantastic to have someone like Will in your life and have crossed paths in rugby with them.”

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