O'Gara all energy as captain's run looms

RONAN O'GARA'S first stint as captain of a rugby team was with the Cork Con under-12s. He tells the story with a straight face and with that "butter wouldn't melt in his mouth" look. He tells us that back then as captain of the Cork Con tots he, along with Peter Stringer, stormed the Continent and won the European under-12 Cup in France under Fred Casey.

Under Declan Kidney, the teacher, O'Gara progressed to captain Presentation College junior and senior cup teams. Those were the formative years.

Six months ago, Kidney offered O'Gara the captaincy of Munster in the absence of the injured Paul O'Connell. Yesterday morning Eddie O'Sullivan tracked him down in a corridor of the team hotel in Killiney with a similar offer. With Brian O'Driscoll out injured and O'Connell a game off his best, the outhalf seemed the natural choice. And he appeared every bit as pleased as he was back in the 1990s when conquering Europe.

"He's captained Munster and it hasn't hurt his game," said the confident O'Sullivan. "He's filled a senior player's roll. He's had to talk. He's been the leader of the team before, unofficially. He is captain material. I have no problem at all."

O'Gara's elevation may have been a long time in coming but few doubt his credentials or his ability to make decisions on the pitch. That the man with a good line in the casual shrug and the understatement was yesterday effervescent and unrestrained suggests that this was another personal goal for him.

"I was half hoping to be named as captain but I didn't expect it," he admitted. "I'm thrilled, I'm delighted, I'm honoured. It's a massive opportunity, a massive challenge. It's a privilege to lead such an honest bunch of players. I'm excited about it and I can't wait for Saturday.

"I have the utmost respect and time for Paulie (O'Connell) and he's a natural leader and a very close personal friend and someone I hugely admire and respect. Just because he's not officially named captain . . . that won't change our relationship. I have huge trust in him and I think he probably has in me as well.

"I suppose this was the ideal chance for me to get the nod because Brian is injured and Paul is probably a game away from the level he wants."

If O'Gara was picked to energise a match that may end in ridicule for one or other team, management could not have rolled out a man with more energy and fizz. His view of how he hopes Ireland will play the game even raised a few eyebrows. But his suggestion this team was prepared to "express" itself was refreshing.

"This weekend will be all about going out to have a go, express ourselves. Let's go and play and if we are beaten by a better team accept that," said the captain. "Last weekend we didn't play rugby. We underperformed and we got beaten."

While the underage conquest of Europe may have been flawless, Munster and the outhalf have had a few games where they have learned harsh lessons. Last season when O'Connell was injured O'Gara captained Munster in the quarter-final of the Heineken European Cup in Stradey Park. They lost 24-15 in a game O'Gara feels was, in terms of leadership, a steep learning curve for him.

"I think you probably have to learn from mistakes," he says. "In the Llanelli game when we got beat comprehensively over there that was obviously a poor day but you learn from that. If I perform well that will be the key to go about it (captaincy). I've to get my own game right and at the back of your mind you've also to think about the team performance."

Coming off the disappointment of the Welsh game, O'Gara is shamelessly aiming high. It may be a do-or-die final Six Nations effort but he is unwavering and public in his belief that in his new job he must also shoulder intense personal responsibility.

"The confidence levels probably aren't as high as they should be," he admits, "but we have to make sure that we are in the best frame of mind for this weekend. There might not be that much at stake but there's a huge prize at stake for me personally and for the team.

"I take a personal responsibility in trying to bring a smile back on the people's faces in Ireland."

O'Gara may well know it. Bringing back that smile could well prove the real challenge of next weekend.