I hope that top stars in this country realise how great it is to play here
O’GARA INSISTS GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER
have a lot of the same players that were there.
“They will want to make improvements and come to Thomond Park and beat us.”
England internationals Jonny May and George Ford are included in a dangerous Tigers backline while Telusa Veainu and Dan Cole are both fit to start unlike last season. RONAN O’GARA has warned flight risks Peter O’mahony and CJ Stander that ‘far away hills are not always greener’.
But he also urged the IRFU not to assume that O’mahony in particular is so dyed in the wool Munster that he would never leave. The Reds duo – both pivotal members of Joe Schmidt’s Ireland squad – are attracting interest from abroad.
O’mahony is believed to have been offered a contract half that of what a French club is willing to pay while there is also interest from England. Stander, who qualified for Ireland via the residency rule, has seen his contract talks stall and he too is drawing interest from Top 14 clubs.
All of which is a monumental head-wreck for Johann van Graan (inset), the new Munster boss facing into a crunch Champions Cup doubleheader against Leicester.
Ireland legend O’gara, who won two European Cups with Munster, sees both sides of the coin. And from his time as a coach at French side Racing 92, he is well placed to assess the financial markets at play between the two countries.
At TV3’S Six Nations coverage launch yesterday, O’gara said: “It’s really important we don’t lose the core reason why we play the game.
“If you grew up in Cork or Limerick you played for Munster, if you grew up in Dublin you play for Leinster. If we dilute that we’re going to lose an awful lot of our identity. These players have to decide what they want to do and it’s very much an individual decision. “
But O’gara feels it would be dangerous for the IRFU to assume – certainly in O’mahony’s case – that he would never leave Munster because of what it means to him.
He added: “You’re right, it’s very dangerous because we’ve seen it – the guys are going. Top players in this country, I hope they realise how great it is to be playing as a one club man. There’s something extremely special about that.
“I understand the environment and the finances and everything is changing but sometimes far away hills aren’t always greener. You could strike a cracking deal if you get them on a good day but every player tests the market. They are all out there looking to get better deals. That happens and it has always happened. If the money is that big an issue, then go.”
The landscape is indeed changing and what of the 2019 World Cup and its aftermath – is that when we will see a mass exodus of top talent?
“Why?” asked O’gara. “Is there something wrong with the game here? All the players from the team I played on, and won European Cups with, had offers to go for far more money.
“But is that what creates a massive identity with teams and supporters? There’s something incredibly great about playing with your home team and achieving.
“I also understand you might want to do something else but it’s disappointing say that Zebo hasn’t won something with Munster because that’s what it’s about here.”
Perhaps a bigger issue at play here is that some home-based players do not feel as valued as others in the Irish system?
O’gara said: “The only way to decide that is by putting a value on yourself and if the IRFU match that. If they don’t then you have a decision to make. But we definitely need key figures to stay with the province if they are to be successful.”