Ronan O'Gara: La Rochelle boss targets Irish job after Champions Cup triumph
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Ronan O'Gara has now won four Champions Cups as a player and coach
Ronan O'Gara says he wants to coach his native Ireland after guiding La Rochelle to a second successive Heineken Champions Cup success.
The French side staged a stirring comeback to beat Leinster 27-26 after trailing 17-0 in the Dublin final.
"Yes, of course, I want to coach Ireland as well but you have got to earn that right," he said.
"Of course it will [stand him in good stead if he gets the Ireland job]. You're always getting better."
O'Gara, who is contracted to La Rochelle until 2027, added that the victory ranks as his best memory from the Lansdowne Road venue at which he enjoyed huge success as a player for Ireland.
"It's brilliant, fantastic," he told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"It's such a happy place. The boys emptied the tank, it wasn't looking promising obviously for a lot of the game, but we got back into it at half-time.
"Being nine points down was a big bonus for us, even though that sounds contradictory, but we were very happy with that.
"We knew we had them in the maul, we didn't get enough pay-back out of that but we got it in the end. It's beyond a special day for us."
La Rochelle celebrated back-to-back Champions Cup wins
As Ireland's second most-capped player and record points scorer - winning three Triple Crowns and a Grand Slam in 2009 - O'Gara has enjoyed many highs at the venue where La Rochelle successfully defended the trophy they won last year against Leinster in an equally dramatic final.
As he reflected on his team's performance, the former fly-half did not shy away from answering where this victory ranked in his career - while also finding words of consolation for his opponents.
"Because it is the freshest it is always the best, isn't it?" O'Gara said.
"I am just proud of the character of the team, 17-0 down and away from home, they could have easily found a way to find an excuse but these boys have character and character is important in sport.
"We love it. We care a lot for each other. We don't talk about that but we act and there is no bigger proof in the pudding than back-to-back [European wins]. We are probably beginning to be seen as a special team and I think the boys deserve to be there."
He added: "Sport is ruthless. I must admit that as a head coach or leader of this group, you feel for Leinster management and the players, it is horrible. One bus goes happy and the other bus is devastated."
French side launch thrilling fightback
Leinster have now lost three finals since winning their fourth title in 2018
Leinster opened up a 17-0 lead with three tries in 12 minutes in a scintillating start, but La Rochelle fought their way back to go in at the break 23-14 down.
The brilliant fightback was capped by Georges-Henri Colombe's late try that secured their victory and denied Leinster a record-equalling fifth European triumph.
However, when asked about his role in galvanising the team, former Munster captain O'Gara instead praised the character of his players.
"I know where I come from, the boys know where I come from," he said.
"I am very proud to come from Cork, it means a lot to me, a lot of great sportspeople have come out of Cork and they inspire me.
"You mix that with the best of French, South African, New Zealand, Australian, Samoan - we have players from all around the world who I would like to think are made to feel at home.
"It's a brilliant feeling. We back our environment, we have fun. Rugby is meant to be enjoyed and I think you saw it was a group of 23 that didn't down tools and that means a lot to me."