Ronan O'Gara hit out at the 'Neymar' esque antics of Stade Francais' Romain Briatte as La Rochelle were handed a sixth consecutive defeat in the French capital on Saturday afternoon.
In what was their fourth loss on the bounce in the Top 14, O'Gara's men succumbed to a 22-17 loss at the hands of Stade Francais, who before Saturday's result sat dead last in the standings.
While La Rochelle have been plagued by injuries in recent months, they eventually got some reprieve a fortnight ago when a host of key players including the formidable Will Skelton returned.
However, that much-needed reprieve disappeared nearly as quickly as it arrived, when Skelton was shown red for a ruck clear-out just twenty minutes into yesterday's game, reducing O'Gara's men to fourteen for the remaining hour.
🗣️ "Unfortunately, today, we are at the Parc des Princes and we saw Neymar."
- Ronan O'Gara accuses Stade Francais flanker Tanginoa Halaifonua of diving which resulted in a red card for Will Skelton. pic.twitter.com/jngW8igRAC— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) March 2, 2025
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Ronan O'Gara accuses Stade flanker of 'Neymar' like antics
Speaking after his side were condemned to ninth in the Top 14 standings, a frustrated Ronan O'Gara accused Stade flanker Romain Briatte of playing up to the referee during the incident that saw Will Skelton banished to the stands.
While O'Gara wasn't blind to the wrongdoing of his Australian lock, the Munster legend was dumbfounded by both the actions of the Stade flanker and the red card.
There is a balance to be found between aggression, intelligence and cleaning up.
In rugby, you have the right to clean up a ruck. Unfortunately, today, we are at the Parc des Princes (Paris Saint-Germain’s ground) and we saw Neymar.
It’s a dark day for rugby. To give a red card for that? I’m not trying to protect Will because it’s not good, but a rugby player who does that, it’s quite an interesting gesture.
Fortunately for O'Gara's men, the Parisian side's flanker Sekou Macalou also saw red for a first-half croc roll, equalising an affair that otherwise could've proved a lot more costly for the two-time European Champions.
Despite the ongoing crisis for La Rochelle in the West of France, and their current standings in the table, all is far from lost for O'Gara who is yet to win a French league title since his 2019 arrival in La Rochelle.
His side while three places out of the playoff places, remain just two points off sixth place Lyon with eight games to go, and according to O'Gara remain unwaveringly focused on claiming a first league title of his tenure.
We were very strong for [the last] 20 minutes, but too weak for [the first] 60. We lack confidence.
My goal is to win a Brennus. It’s completely crazy to say that today, but with the right player selection…
Yes, there is no other word, it is a crisis, we have to accept it. We played a game, especially in the first half, that was unacceptable for a Top 14 team. It is a crisis.
We can die slowly for the next four months or accept this crisis. For me, it is important to accept that it is a crisis. Accepting it is the first step.
The bulk of O'Gara's squad will now enjoy a two-week layoff while the Six Nations concludes, before taking on fifth-place Castres at home on the 22nd March. There a win for O'Gara's men would go a long way in returning them to the upper echelons of the French top flight.
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