O'Gara says he's in it for the long haul

MUNSTER: CONTRARY TO prior admissions that he planned to quit the game in less than two years, Munster and Ireland outhalf Ronan O'Gara says he now plans to stick around for a while longer.

The 33-year-old Corkman seemed to have his mind made up when he gave a radio interview last August, commenting, “In 24 months time, this will all be gone and I’ll be a hurler on ditch – and an expert”.

But in a frank discussion conducted in his native county yesterday, he admitted his earlier projections were rash and inaccurate.

“In previous interviews I may have said that I only plan on playing for another two seasons, but I’ve gone completely the other way now,” O’Gara explained. “I can’t see myself stopping.

“With hindsight it was an inaccurate way of thinking about it. Why would I put a timeline on it? The minute you stop enjoying it or when you think you’re not the best man to play, then you go.”

O’Gara’s newfound enthusiasm can be explained in part by the challenge set down to him by Jonathan Sexton, who displaced him as Ireland’s first-choice outhalf last season.

He acknowledges he didn’t react as well as he could have to Sexton’s initial emergence as a contender for the number 10 shirt, but with a kicking ratio of 86 per cent after six games for Munster this season, he is now ready to meet the challenge head on.

“Maybe for a few months when Johnny came on scene I probably struggled to get my head around it,” he admitted. “But I’m around long enough to realise that there are many ups and downs.

“It takes a long time to prove yourself at international level, and the more you achieve for your country the harder you get knocked.

“I’ve been so lucky to play for Ireland over the last 10 years. You get marked hard in that position, so I’m happy to have survived and to still be in contention makes me hungry for the road ahead. I haven’t been this motivated for a long time.”

O’Gara’s relationship with Sexton has been a matter of considerable discourse over the past 12 months, but Ireland’s record points-scorer is happy to set the record straight.

“I’m getting to know him and enjoy his company. If you can’t get your head around the competition and treat someone as a decent human being, then you’re going nowhere in life. He realises there is competition for the jersey and so do I.”