Ronan O'Gara's time on our TV screens for this year's Six Nations is over. The former Munster man is heading back to New Zealand for another season as backs coach with Super Rugby champions Crusaders.
With him, O'Gara will take three developments he's recognised while watching rugby in the northern hemisphere, ones he hopes to incorporate into his Crusaders game plan.
"That knockout zone, combining you forwards plan with your backs plan to make it an all-out team attack near the line. I have some nice ideas that hopefully I get to explore on the pitch," O'Gara said on Virgin Media's coverage of the Guinness Six Nations.
Farewell ROG 👋
Before he goes he outlines his plans for the future and what he'll take down under from Northern Hemisphere rugby 🇳🇿
It's been a pleasure @RonanOGara10! #VMTVRugby #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/dbPzH68gtK— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 10, 2019
"The second thing - and it's been reconfirmed in the first two weeks of the Six Nations - is just how important a quality restart is; how it impacts on exiting easily or making it difficult. Johnny hit an absolute beauty yesterday a metre from the touchline.
"The third one is just those attacking kicks. I didn't expect it to be happening as fast. It'll be interesting when this game [England vs France] is statted up how many attacking kicks England did."
O'Gara also gave some insight into a lax mentality within French rugby. Prior to joining the Crusaders, he spent four years with Racing 92.
The 41-year-old described Monday morning video review sessions with the club as "different" compared to other experiences. He included a long pause while selecting the correct adjective.
"I can give you an insight into my one but my one wasn't the same as the other coaches," said O'Gara.
"Coaching shouldn't be commentating. It's very easy to look at the video and go, 'You weren't in position there.' What players want now is potential suggestions or solutions.
"It keeps coming back to skillset, structure, mindset - those three issues. Was it a breakdown in the system? Was it a skillset error? Or was it a mindset [problem]?
"The video sessions, getting the feedback after, I think they were a little bit shocked. After three weeks, it becomes the norm."
"It's different" 😂
ROG gives us an insight into the mentality in French training sessions and video review sessions 😳 Worrying stuff.#VMTVRugby #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/BfGFEczFyh— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 10, 2019
