THE HEINEKEN CUP, potentially in its last season in its current format, is world rugby’s best competition, according to Irish legend Ronan O’Gara.
O’Gara won Europe’s biggest prize with Munster in 2006 and 2008 but this season will be cheering on Racing Metro from the sidelines in his role as kicking coach for the big-spending Parisian club.
“There’s a lot of concern over the future of the European Cup and that’s a worry for me,” O’Gara told AFP.
Leading clubs in England and France have served notice of their intention to quit the existing set-up when the agreement governing the running of the European Cup expires at the end of the season and set up their own separate competition, to which other teams from the continent have been invited.
O’Gara, who is the competition’s highest points scorer with 1,365 points racked up in 110 matches, insisted: “In my opinion, it’s the best tournament in the world.
In Ireland, it counts for even more than the Six Nations. There’s a very great love for this competition.It’s a great worry in Ireland. Everyone agrees that we must change the rules for qualification etc… The French and English want more money? No problem. The ERC must accept to give them more money.
“It’s important to change one or two things, but not change the whole competition.
“It’s important to have a compromise. If we lose this competition, it’ll be a great loss. I hope everyone likes this competition and that we find a solution.
Working alongside coaching duo Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit, O’Gara admitted that he had found the Top 14 a “very tough league, with big matches every week”.
“In Ireland the Heineken Cup is massive, but here in France the Top 14 is more important.”
INPHO/Harold Cunningham
In three appearances in the Heineken Cup, Racing Metro have never made it out of their pool, and O’Gara said his massive experience would help.
“It’s my job to help the players, notably those who are less experienced, because the Top 14 is a certain type of game but the Heineken Cup is a different competition and I know it well.
“In Ireland, Scotland and Wales, teams play differently, it’s another style of playing.”
Racing Metro have a tough ask first up against last season’s beaten finalists Clermont, but the 128-times capped O’Gara claimed to have some good inside knowledge.
“I played against Clermont in the last semi-final and I’ve got lots of information in my diary!” he said.
In the European Cup you have to win the first match. And if you win the first two matches, you’re in a good position to progress to the quarter-finals.
A big ask perhaps for a Racing Metro side that went down 22-20 to Grenoble in Top 14 action on the weekend.
“The team’s level is average for the moment, we have to improve. And what a match to improve in. Against Clermont, undoubtedly the best team in Europe.”
INPHO/Harold Cunningham
With O’Gara looking on, it will be the player who took over his Ireland shirt calling the shots from fly-half for Racing: Jonny Sexton.
“There was a lot of competition between us,” acknowledged O’Gara.
“At the start, I didn’t like Jonathan and he didn’t like me. Now I know him and I like him a lot. We’re friends and we want to win something together with Racing.”
O’Gara added: “It’s very important for me to have Jonathan and for Jonathan to have me here. The Top 14 is new for both of us, very tough.
“We have still to learn how to win in the Top 14. I hope that in a few months we will have learnt the lesson. Jonathan’s important for the team to grow up.”
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