They say Christmas miracles don't come true, but that wasn't the case in France last weekend, when Ronan O'Gara and one of his oldest foes laid down their weapons ahead of Christmas and shared a beer.
O'Gara and then Bordeaux-Begles head coach Christopher Urios infamously faced off when the two sides met in the Top 14 in April 2022.
The Munster legend had been celebrating his side's impressive defensive set over Bordeaux rather exuberantly when Urios took umbrage with his actions and confronted him.
The two admittedly hot-headed managers not only squared off with each other, but Urios also took a light swipe at O'Gara's face with the sheets in his hand. At the time, both managers were cautioned for their altercation, but nothing more.
Christophe Urios and Ronan O'Gara
⚔️🔥 #UBBSR #TOP14 pic.twitter.com/rpIaXN289c— Ottavio Arenella (@OttavioArenella) April 2, 2022
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Ronan O'Gara has Christmas reconciliation with old foe
Having not spoken in five years, it would've been no surprise if last Saturday when the pair were once again reunited, O'Gara still leading La Rochelle, and Urios now in charge of the imperious Clermont Auvergne, they chose not to speak again.
However, Christmas miracles do happen and after his side won 20-15 in a gruelling battle of will, O'Gara and Urious sat down and broke bread over a beer, with the Corkonian remarking that their relationship was now 'love'.
It's been five years since I spoke to Christophe, I shook his hand, now it's love, I found it really cool, very 'rugby'
Speaking on RMC Sport, Christophe Urios had a brilliant line about making peace with ROG, but wasn't quite convinced by his pledge of love, joking that it could've also been death.
I don't know if it's love or death. With the accent, we don't understand well.
Saturday, at half-time, I found myself face to face with him. It's not that I had to shake his hand, if I didn't want to I wouldn't have done it. I might have even stepped on his foot (laughs). But hey, I did it.
The score probably helped him come, and he told me that we would see each other at the end of the match. He came with a few beers in the locker room, we had a beer every two. It made everyone laugh, especially Benji Urdapilleta.
O'Gara must have been slowly winning favour back with the Mariner's most revered rivals if the situation had Benji Urdapilleta laughing. Like with Urios, O'Gara and Urdapilleta didn't see eye-to-eye over an in-game incident in September of 2023 when the Corkonian found himself in the warpath of a quick-ball seeking Urdapilleta.
O'Gara didn't only make amends with an old Top 14 foe, but also got his side back to winning ways in the Top 14. Their five-point win over Clermont was their first in three league games, dating back to the start of November, and builds on their back-to-back European wins from the two previous weekends.
Ronan O'Gara will be hopeful that Saturday's result will be a turning tide in a run of league form that has been nothing above average.
