Ronan talking rugby

SOME say grumpy, he says focussed. Others say serious, he prefers driven. And for all the success he has celebrated in his professional life, Irish rugby hero Ronan O'Gara's greatest ever achievement is becoming a father.
Probably not the most likely topics you'd imagine talking to Ireland's most famous outhalf about, but when the Rose of Tralee's newest ambassador chatted with The Kerryman in Tralee
the weekend, he seemed happy to discuss them all.
After attending the Rose Buds selection ceremony in the Carlton Hotel on Friday night, the Munster and Ireland number 10 met with yours truly the following morning to discuss his involvement with this year's Rose of Tralee festival. He explained that having worked with festival sponsor, Newbridge Silverware, for several years, getting involved with the Rose of Tralee was somewhat of a natural progression.
A self-confessed fan of the international competition, he explained that he was very happy to accept an offer of becoming a judge this year. That new role, however, had always been dependant on his hectic rugby commitments and he conceded on Saturday that it's now looking unlikely that he can fulfil that role because of an international match the same weekend, as well as the impending Rugby World Cup.
He is adamant, however, that he'll get to Tralee at some stage over the festival and will continue to be an ambassador for the Rose of Tralee and Newbridge.
"There is a possibility of me getting out for a night, so hopefully that will happen," he said. "I've always had a liking for the Rose of Tralee as it's a big Irish tradition and I was happy to come on board."
A regular visitor to Kerry for over 15 years — staying in his wife's grandparents house in Dooks — the Cork man says he loves to get away to Killarney, Kenmare and Glenbeigh, and even admitted the odd off-season 'blast' at Paídí Ó Sé's in Ventry with his Munster colleagues.
His grá for Kerry also extends to the Kerry football team and he loves nothing more than a good battle between the Rebels and the Kingdom.
"I'm a big fan of both
at teams and it's important for Munster football to have these two teams going hammer and tongs at each other. It's similar to Munster and Leinster — they're dominating Ireland as well as the provincial battle and that's great," he said.
As for the recent Munster final, and predictions for this year's All-Ireland, he reckons it's all to play for.
"Cork will have been disappointed with their first half performance [in the Munster final] but they have plenty to work on and still have the comfort of winning the All Ireland last year. On the other hand, Kerry have proved their ability down through the years so it's all to play for," he said.
On the subject of provincial battles, I had to ask about the muchpublicised rivalry between the Munster star and his Leinster counterpart, Jonathan Sexton, whose parents both hail from north Kerry. Is that rivalry as intense as it's made out to be?
"Yeah, of course. There's a big rivalry there. The two of us are competing for a starting position on the Irish team. The Irish outhalf position is steeped in tradition so the only comment I can make on it really is that there's big respect there."
As for up and coming Munster centre, Danny Barnes from Ardfert, the Irish number 10 is full of praise.
"Danny was hugely impressive [last season]. He was thrown in a small bit at the deep end against Leinster and the Ospreys and he excelled, he didn't just hold his own, and that's a big compliment," he said. "The biggest compliment I could give him is that he's a better player than trainer and I like that in a player. There are plenty of Tarzans in training but he's the opposite of that."
In a career that has spanned almost 15 years, Ronan O'Gara has experienced plenty ups and downs, but picking a high and a low of his career came easy. Ireland's grand slam victory over Wales in 2009 rates as his greatest professional achievement, while the on-and offfield disappointments of the 2007 World Cup in France was undoubtedly his lowest.
"You can handle the playing side of things, but off the field there were rumours about every single player on the Irish team during that time and that's not tough for me, but for those who know me," he said of the rumours that marred his world cup campaign four years ago.
Thankfully, he says, experience and drive have taught him to put these things to the back of his mind and get things in perspective.
"For me, I can switch off very easily, because if you think about it 24/7 you'd burn out," he said.
Knowing what it's like to be knocked back as a youngster, but still managing to overcome the setbacks and become one of Ireland's most gifted rugby players, Ronan O'Gara has some valuable advice for the young rugby players of the Kingdom.
"What I'd tell them is follow their dream and make sure it isn't squashed by the opinion of one coach or mentor. Mental skills are just as important as physical skills in this game so they need to have a really thick skin and be prepared for disappointment," he said. "It can crush you as a person, never mind as a rugby player, but they should work hard and follow their dream. It's not about how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up."
But for all the incredible highs Ronan O'Gara has experienced in his blistering career, his greatest achievement, bar none, is being a dad. Although he admits it's not always easy to juggle a demanding career and family life with three children under three, he certainly knows where his priorities lie.
"Being a father has given me the most joy and would surpass any rugby achievement," he said. "The joy you get out of family life is incredible and it's only when you experience it that you truly value what it means. For me, having a happy home makes me a happy person and helps me perform to the best of my ability."
When asked what he considered his best quality to be, he said it was his caring nature, but quickly added that he is fully aware he's not perceived that way. He knows that people consider him to be grumpy, but that perception doesn't cost him a thought.
"To me, grumpy is focussed and that's the way I go to work," he said. "From my point of view, after 13 to 15 years of performing consistently week in week out, I have to have my game face on," he said. "Then if you're doing simple things like going to the shops, you can't stop and talk to everybody, so again that perception is there. But for people who know me, they know that wouldn't be the way I am."
And his flaw? A smile and a concession that he has many is followed by an admission that he can be impatient — a trait, he says, that comes with the territory.
When the tape stopped rolling and the notebook was put away, he asked if I was one of those people who would have perceived him as being grumpy. My answer: Not anymore.
Being a huge fan of Munster and Irish rugby, and one of Ronan O'Gara's biggest admirers, I was well aware of that old adage that you should never meet your hero. The verdict? I'm very glad I risked it.