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Published 17:05 8 Dec 2017 GMT
Updated 14:58 9 Dec 2017 GMT
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Once the formalities were completed, O'Gara was again in demand. He chatted with RSVP magazine about the challenge of upping sticks to New Zealand with wife Jessica and his five children. While he will be flying solo for his first five weeks in Canterbury, the O'Gara clann will head down en masse in February.
And so we came to the round-table chat and O'Gara was in top form as he discussed Munster's Champions Cup chances against Leicester Tigers, contract season, wages in France and how Altrad-owned Montpellier can almost play fantasy rugby when squad building.
There was another funny moment as he mulled over the recent failures of the French national team under Guy Noves. France, he noted, were missing a few quality centres during their November internationals. "Gael Fickou and Remi Lamerat," he said, "and the guy from La Rochelle."
He looked to the rugby reporters for assistance but it was slow coming back.
"He can play a bit of 10 too." Blank faces. This was getting embarrassing. As he was about to move on, Derek Foley of The Star saved our blushes - "Doumayrou!" "Yes," O'Gara replied. "Geoffrey Doumayrou." 10 rugby reporters surrounding one of Ireland's greatest rugby players but we got there in the end.France are first up for Ireland, on February 3, and O'Gara the rugby man - definitely not a pundit - will offer up his expertise and opinion having had vast experience of both nations. As for the tournament favourites, loath as he was to admit it, England would go in as the team to beat. Finish ahead of them and another championship should be the reward. New station. Same challenge.
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