In pro sports you are probably too far behind some coaches if going coaching after a long playing career. As an ex player you probably get promoted too soon as well like arteta or Lampard.
Even in racing now willie, Henry, Gordon weren’t the top pro jockeys. Nichols, Skelton or nicky either for that matter.
He could have done thay if he wanted but pulled the handbrake… Went places he could learn
Indeed. I wonder is that the difference between amateur and pro…
Ó gara never really had an ego… And lack of an ego is a starting point for a coach IMVHO
Yep he seemed to have a very good mindset anyway.
Seems Paul o Connell was lost to coaching only for the call from Andy Farrell.
He has done an excellent job imo with Ireland. Had heard he was poor enough with the Munster academy. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with him as well.
I liked Paul o Connell interview a few weeks ago when he said he was only going to try and make tiny improvements as opposed to ripping the whole thing up and starting again.
People don’t realise how fine the margins are at that level.
Aggregation of marginal gains… Simple concept which has dirty connotations now post team GB… But it works
I had a great chat with a very well regarded young coach. He was lamenting the fact that you have zero chance of getting near the cork job or any decent job at minor or u21 unless you have played senior intercounty. Now, there are lots of reasons why we have underperformed in last 20 years but it’s an interesting point and maybe just maybe the fact that some of the best coaches in cork do not get a look in at senior level is part of the problem. I have no doubt that richie kelleher would have the cork job by now if he had played senior intercounty.
John fintan Daly another example over the years
I’d say you nearly need to go back to the Canon to find a hurking manager in cork who wasn’t an inter County player
Might be just Cork. Derek hardly hurled senior for Waterford and I’d say Kiely was the same in Limerick
Kiely deffo was involved in limerick seniors and derek played league afaik?
I was referring to cork mostly.
Defo think ego is a massive factor… but I always thought o Gaea had huge ego when playing ? I remember a documentary on him and he was basically giving kidney a bollocking for allowing sexton a sniff at no.10
He was a v confident lad… But don’t think he had a massive ego at all
Sure there’s loads in soccer surely?? Zidane ancelotti Beckenbauer guarduola cruyff Dalglish.
Even in gaa micko babs JBM paidi off top of my head.
At the level ROG has reached as a coach even more.
If the French go, the Irish teams surely join the English Premiership.That would go well commercially here I’d say.
O’Gara tried to bury Sexton at the 11’ World Cup. He said ‘if he doesn’t play for Ireland, maybe he just plays for Munster’ in the post match after the Australia game where IIRC Sexton had a stint at 12 when they were both on the pitch… Sexton was way too big, too tough, and too good for any of that shit and O’Gara had to doff the cap eventually. Sexton is truly great player really, unbreakable.
Good list
Would you consider that loads? Only 2 of them have played in last 20 years (30 years even?)
I wouldn’t consider ROG to have done much as a coach yet…
Sexton is a great player yeah and a massive competitor. But ROG was 35 at that RWC in 2011…not far off how old Sexton is now. So yeah he doffed the cap as you put it but he was nearly done at that stage. Two serious competitors… O gara genuinely hated Sexton at thay stage I’d say… But he was using that to fuel the tank at that stage I’d say… The two of them are v alike… Bessers now as well sure 
I’d say he never started another game for Ireland after that Welsh QF. And Jackson came on the scene as well and against the Scots in the 2023 6N sexton was injured and PJ got parachuted over ROG into the starting team… Ó gara came off the bench and had the worst performance of his career bar none… I’d say he announced his retirement after that.
Yeah true there are very few. I suppose they are only those to make it as genuine greats in coaching and playing which narrows the parameters. Have there been many in rugby?
Very much a fringe player for his time with limerick, maybe being outside the first team would give a better insight than being a guaranteed starter
Do you know has it been said how much this Jenkins lad is getting? A Munster fan friend thinks it’s a good signing. Jesus wept.
