Late April is transfer silly season in all sports, with the world of football already providing one questionable rumour this morning. This unlikely link features Cork's favourite rugby star - Ronan O'Gara.
As we're all well aware, O'Gara is doing a great job in his first coaching gig since his retirement. The Racing Metro coach started out as the skills and kicking coach, but has graduated into taking over the defensive responsibilities for the Parisian club. In fact, Racing are doing so well since O'Gara arrived that the two head coaches in charge - Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers are highly sought after.
The Racing Metro pair are so highly rated in fact, that reports in France suggested that the French Rugby Federation (FFR), have approached the duo to take over the reins from current French head coach Phillipe Saint Andre when his contract runs out after the World Cup. Nothing unusual about that, but here's where things get a little murky.
Several reports from Ireland then make the connection from the two Racing Metro coaches to O'Gara. The logic being that if the two Racing Metro coaches do end up leading the national side that they will be able to recruit their own backroom staff, and given O'Gara's positive work for Racing Metro - O'Gara would be likely to join them. While that's not explicitly stated in the French reports, it's not an illogical connection to make.
The one major stumbling to this comes in the same French reports in Rugbyrama where the two Laurent's comment on the French job:
We are committed with the president Jacky Lorenzetti on a long-term project. We want to be part of the growth of the professional team and also the arrival of our new stadium: Arena 92. We think that it would be bad to jump ship before the completion of these projects, and especially at the beginning of our adventure at Racing-Metro. We are men of our word. We have a commitment for four years, maybe it will be, and we wish to remain faithful to the colors of Racing.
We know that some rejections and denials in sport don't mean anything, but that is as conclusive as things get. Their contracts run until 2017, and they are already in discussions for further extensions.
I think it's fair to say that neither of Racing's Laurents are going anywhere, and as such - will not be taking O'Gara with them.
Photo Credit Stephen McCarthy /Sportsfile
