Learning From O'Gara

Every opportunity you have to learn, you should grasp. When it comes to training, that means attending courses, conferences, club/county sessions etc. There are also other opportunities though. With little interest in the rugby last weekend, I spent most of the game watching the subs warm-up, observing the different stretches etc. You will always pick one or two things up and can then easily incorporate them into your sessions to bring some variety.

However, what was most interesting was what I saw after the game. We were all loitering around just outside the stadium and while the lads were waiting for the jacks, I went back in for a look at the pitch with Timmy. The Irish subs, including those who had come on, were playing a game of touch rugby across the field. Funnily enough, three of the Italians players had also joined in.

O'Gara stood out though. Now, being from Cork and a non-rugby orientated background, I would not be overly enamoured with Pres and Christians folk. They carried a ridiculous clannish confidence around College with them and liked to do a bit of huffing and puffing in the pubs and clubs. O'Gara being ex-Pres could naturally be tarnished with that brush and probably over the years has done one or two things to make it stick.

However, you can't but admire the guys' resilience. From reading his book, you certainly don't get the impression that he was the type of guy earmarked as a future Lion from day one. He worked extremely hard at his game though. Despite this, he has faced ridicule time and time again, especially for supposedly being the weak tackler in the back line. Still, he has stepped up time and again and done the business. At 34, his resilience is undiminished and he showed it again in Rome last week.

Usually, we get very little first hand insight into these guys’ approach to the game. O'Gara stood out in the touch game on Saturday though. He was bringing an intensity to it far above the rest, constantly looking for the ball and making the runs. I know it's not much but it is indicative of his approach to training and the game himself. After kicking the winning score, probably being pissed off with not starting, this was his attitude. When the opposition had the ball he was just as intense and I'd say the rest thought he was a complete pain in the arse. It's the kind of approach all of us should bring to training. If I learned nothing about Ireland's supposedly improved patterns of play last weekend, I can at least try and take a leaf out of O'Gara's book when I’m on the training pitch.