Ronan O’Gara is bloodthirsty. As much as he controlled his nerves when he was the chief gunner of the Irish XV, he has struggled to contain his anger since he became a coach. This was the case at Racing, when he was the deputy of Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit, it is even more so in La Rochelle, where he became the big boss of the sports sector. The Maritimes manager was suspended for six weeks for disrespecting officials during the victory in Lyon (23-21), counting for the 2nd day of the Top 14, announced this Wednesday the Disciplinary Committee of the National League rugby (NRL).
“Mr Ronan O’Gara has been found responsible for acting against a match official, and more specifically for disrespecting the authority of a match official,” the committee said in a statement. In explicit terms, these are “soft” words and inappropriate gestures. At the end of the match played at the Gerland stadium on September 10, “referees No. 4 and No. 5 and the federal representative, appointed during this meeting, had reported the behavior” of the Irish manager, of which it is not not the first prank.
Last spring, Ronan O’Gara had already been suspended for two weeks for his attitude during La Rochelle’s victory over Racing 92 (19-0) on the 21st day. The Disciplinary Committee of the LNR was therefore severe. Ronan O’Gara “will be requalified on October 31,” the statement said.