Munster men Prendy and ROG go head-to-head in French test
IT’S ROG v Prendy this afternoon. Two juggernaut French outfits go head-to-head in Lens, with the prize on offer of a place in the Heineken Champions Cup final in Marseille on the last Saturday of this month. Two ex-Munster men will be at the heart of the contest.
Ronan O’Gara has been steadily building La Rochelle into a European force since he arrived from the Crusaders in 2019. Despite widespread calls for the Corkman to return home and replace Johann van Graan as
Munster’s next head coach, O’Gara felt it wasn’t the right time. He is in the midst of another big project. Beaten finalists in the Top14 and Europe last season, he has plenty of unfinished business.
Racing 92 stand in the way in Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Sitting in their coaches’ box will be Mike Prendergast. The Limerick native and former Munster scrum-half did answer the call from home and will be linking up with Graham Rowntree on the newlook coaching ticket this summer.
O’Gara and Prendergast remain firm friends. Last week they shared a meal and a bottle of red; they speak regularly. Today, they are in opposition camps. Neither club is short of ambition or money. Neither has scaled this European summit, however.
Both teams are stacked with household names. Racing have a stellar cast of backs featuring
Finn Russell, Gael Fickou, Virimi
Vakatawa and Juan Imhoff. Big things are expected of young full-back Max Spring and rookie scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec. Springbok tighthead Trevor Nyakane, France lock Bernard Le Roux and veteran flanker Wenceslas Lauret should ensure plenty of front-foot ball.
O’Gara’s lads won’t be overawed, though. They have former All Black Victor Vito and Les Bleus star Grégory Alldritt in a powerful pack as well as heavyweight France tighthead Uini Atonio. Jonathan Danty, Raymond Rhule and Dillyn Ledys are more than a handful as well.
Racing look the stronger and the Parisians are poised to secure their first final appearance since 2019 and perhaps the chance to give their departing backs coach the perfect send-off. It would be a fitting farewell for
Prendergast before his homecoming. O’Gara is a kindred spirit in
HEADING HOME: Racing coach Mike Prendergast that regard. He’ll be keen to spoil those plans. Neither would have it any other way.
RacING 92: M Spring; T Thomas, V Vakatawa, G Fickou (capt), J Imhoff; F Russell, N Le Garrec; G Gogichashvili, T Baubigny, T Nyakane; B Le Roux, A Bresler; W Lauret, I Diallo, Y Tanga. REPS: C Chat, E Ben Arous, C Gomes Sa, B Pesenti, B Palu, M Machenaud, A Gibert, H Chavancy. La RocHELLE: D Leyds; J Favre, J Sinzelle, J Danty, R Rhule; I West, T Kerr Barlow; D Priso, P Bourgarit, U Atonio; T Lavault, R Picquette; W Liebenberg, V Vito, G Alldritt (capt). Reps: F Bosch, R Wardi, J Sclavi, R Sazy, M Haddad, A Retiere, L Botia, P Popelin.
REfEREE: Matthew Carley (England) TV: Kick-off: 3pm, Stade BollaertDeleis. LIVE on BT Sport from 2.30pm.