La Rochelle vs Munster: “Rog Derby” The last chapter of Munster’s “love story” of Ronan O’Gara

As O’Sullivan observed, this game has reached a difficult point in O’Gara’s mandate.

The 48-year-old recognized in his briefing with the pre-match media that “if you want to take a minute or five to reflect, it is a fantastic story”, then he defined a “love story”.

However, he has the feeling that this game arrives at a time when the top scorer of Munster’s history has little time for such meditations.

The European champions of 2022 and 2023 have reached their first appointment for the direct elimination of this season to a low EBB, without a victory since he beat a team of Tolosa di force less than January 4th and Saturday 10th in the top 14 with six remaining games.

O’Sullivan, who had a spell that trained Biarritz in France, can refer to the pressures of a break after success, remembering how after bringing Ireland to a first triple crown for 19 years in 2004, a seasoned season followed before the team bounced to reach what was a maximum record of third place in the world rankings.

Nolann Le Garc and Davit Niniashvili, both 22 years old, have already been recruited for the next season to increase an elderly team from La Rochelle.

However, despite all his successes on the French Atlantic coast, O’Gara said that, given the recent form of her team, “next year it is too early” to contemplate.

“The pressure is based very quickly in French rugby when things are not going well,” said O’Sullivan.

“It is difficult because longer goes on, it is as if you were in a hole and is becoming deeper. Everything you can do is trust yourself as a coach to find a way out and trust the players to be with you while you do it.

“Each team has their moments of crisis, at the moment it is in that space, but I would have no doubts that it will solve it because it will be relentless in that research.”