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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Vincent Whelan

Leinster fans react to Ronan O'Gara being linked with coaching role at province

Since the confirmation that Stuart Lancaster will be moving on from his senior coach position at Leinster in the summer, there have been a few obvious names linked with the position.

Some current players have perhaps jokingly suggested that Johnny Sexton could immediately move upstairs upon his retirement after the World Cup although that would seem a steep learning curve and they would need to devise a short-term fix for the first few months of next season before the tournament.

And while the Ireland captain stepping into the coaching void left by the highly thought of Lancaster would be quite a story, an even bigger one would be if his former fly-half rival Ronan O'Gara took the reins.

READ MORE: Dan Sheehan on facing Ulster: 'The job's no fun when there's no pressure on you'

Having now established himself as one of the best young coaches in rugby on the back of two runs to the Champions Cup final - one of which they just beat Leinster in - the 45-year-old is hot property.

He appears perfectly content at La Rochelle but has been there since 2019 and might with his stock as high as it's likely to ever get, might be tempted by the prospect of returning 'home'.

However, many fans seem to feel the idea of such a born and raised Munster icon working alongside Leo Cullen in Dublin is an unrealistic one.

One said: "That’s never going to happen but if he did what’s wrong with that, great coach."

While another added: "He would only return to Ireland for the national job."

And another person laughed off the notion: "ROG accepting a number two spot with the arch-enemy! not going to happen."

But some believed it to be a more realistic possibility since Munster are at such a low ebb and Leinster is clearly a better job at present.

One supporter commented: "I don't think it will happen but to be fair, would many have said Denis Leamy would coach Leinster?"

Lastly, someone else said: "He has a good CV, and turned us over 2 years in a row stranger things have happened!!"

It's not just among fans that the prospect of O'Gara at Leinster has been mooted either.

Another Ireland great in Fiona Hayes reckons he would accept the job if it were offered to him.

She told Off the Ball: "I think he would. I think he's looking at his career and while he's happy at La Rochelle the older you get - and I found this myself - but the further you get from your playing days the old Leinster-Munster rivalry doesn't mean as much to you.

"Rugby is rugby."

She continued: "The talent Leinster I have, I'd say he'd absolutely love to work with them.

"Ideally it would be Munster but there'd be less pressure on him to perform at Leinster than at Munster."

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