Young halves with the world at their feet

Ronan O'Gara (Constitution)

About eight years ago, at an under-age training camp in Clongowes, a skinny under-14 Cork boy caught the eye of Willie Anderson and Eddie O'Sullivan. "If this kid doesn't come through the system," said the admiring Anderson, "then we're not doing our jobs properly."

It probably wouldn't have mattered what system he came through, as you can't keep a talent like Ronan O'Gara's down forever. A natural, O'Gara pretty much notched up the whole gamut of under-age honours, save for an Irish schools cap, and is now playing the most commanding and confident rugby of his career.

Recognition has, however, been on the brisk side of gradual. At first he wanted it all yesterday. He's since learned to be patient, and yet when he looks at Staunton's career taking off the way he wanted his to, O'Gara admits to being a tad green-eyed.

"I would be a bit envious, I suppose. I wouldn't be human if I didn't, so there's no point in me denying it."

He's a self-confident young man, though back in his rookie days with Constitution he admits to being a big cocky. "At that age you think you're brilliant, and `why aren't they picking me?' But I'm now 22, and I realise that at that age you aren't as good as you think you are and you've so much more to learn and experience does count.

"I've wised up a bit," he concedes. "I've taken responsibility for the position I'm in at out-half, especially in the last eight matches. At out-half you have to be able to dictate what's going on and change it if it's not going right."

His formative early influence was his father Fergal, who was picked for a Final Trial but took up an offer in the US in a research laboratory - he's a professor in micro-biology now. It comes as no surprise to learn that O'Gara was a handy little footballer, playing for the Cork under-8s, 10s and 12s. A sports nut, he can turn his hand to any sport (tennis on the summer circuit, and now a bit of golf) and will watch any game.

Rugby held sway over all others at PBC from when O'Gara was 13. By then he'd recognised he was "pretty handy" at rugby.

"Junior (Cup medal) was 3-0 in the final (against Munchin's) - a replay, drop goal two minutes into injury-time. I can't really remember it. I was in the zone, popped the ball over the bar. It was brilliant."

The Senior Cup medal came at the expense of Crescent and today's opponents David Wallace and Conor Kilroy. "We were fairly lucky that day. They missed about eight kicks at goal, I'd say. There were a few Hail Mary's going around at every shot."

His departure from UCC after just one season was due to opportunity knocking elsewhere. "People weren't happy...but Brian Hickey and Peter Melia, two excellent coaches, wished me well."

Paul Burke had left Constitution and Ralph Keyes, a big influence on O'Gara, persuaded him to jump aboard. "He doesn't say much, but what he says I heed."

He's "absolutely delighted" now with the move, and enjoyed it from day one, though with some reservations in his first season.

"The game plan was more kick to the corners and stuff. I didn't really fancy that. The thing about Brads (Michael Bradley) is that he gives you more or less a free rein.

"Most coaches will tell you what to do and enforce it, but Brads will let you do what you think is right on the day, and he'll also listen to points."

Despite losing out on the Munster campaign with a torn hamstring in mid-September, O'Gara took heart from Barry Everitt's elevation to the Irish As. It gave him a target which Constitution's rise, after a "shambles" of a start, helped him reach.

Winning today would probably be the highlight of his career so far, "because it means a lot more to the people you are with every day of the week". "This is more family-ish. You're playing for your city more or less. It's not easily forgotten. They actually do give a damn about you, no matter how much they bitch about you."

Next season, the ambition is to nail down the Munster slot, make inroads into the Ireland As and, of course, in the long-term, play for Ireland.

"I'd love to. It would be a huge honour one day to run out and play for your country. That's why everybody plays the game. Some are better than others and hopefully if I stay injury-free and get a bit of a break here and there, there's no reason I can't get involved anyway. But I think there'll be a few stages before that."

Jeremy Staunton (Garryowen)

It tells you all you need to know about Garryowen's Jeremy Staunton and his approach to rugby that his boyhood hero was David Campese. At times he seems as raw as a French steak. Although he's error-prone, he's young, gifted, deeply self-analytical about his game, fiercely competitive, eager to learn, destined to be a pin-up boy of Irish rugby, and it's almost scary to think how good he could become.

Off the pitch he's almost as elusive as he is on it. Essentially he's a shy, if endearing and engaging lad, his reluctance to give interviews as much due to his excessive load of late as anything else. For example, last Wednesday was a relatively quiet day for Staunton, with studies in the morning, an exam in the afternoon, followed by an interview and then training that evening with Garryowen for today's final. If it wasn't for his good humour, you'd almost feel guilty for taking up some of his time.

"The pressure is just mounting at the moment. I've still got my exams, which is like going up Everest really. I'm finding it very hard to cope now to be honest with you. I wish I had a planned life and I could just go through with that, but I'm just on a roller coaster."

The better the rugby goes, the more his studies suffer. Last Friday week was his first day off in two months, and naturally enough he chose to sleep. Normally when he does chill out on his own, it might be to the radio and U2, or even a bit of classical. There's not much time for anything else.

"I'm not complaining. I'm here because I want to be. It was my decision to play rugby. Even if the game wasn't professional I'd still play the game because I love it. This year has been totally unexpected. I hadn't planned for it. It's totally beyond belief."

Despite the conscious efforts of his many coaches to nurse him (he wasn't even in the Munster As last August), he just kept on taking his chances and so at last count Staunton's turned out for the Munster under-20s, Garryowen under-20s, Irish under-19s, Munster As, Garryowen, Irish under-21s, and three weeks ago he made his Irish A debut.

Even so, you'd worry about the consequences of a too-much, too-soon syndrome. For all the barroom talk of Jonny Wilkinson being a lead for Ireland, the Newcastle teenager is more of an exception than the rule. And Irish rugby is littered with players who were brought along too soon. Some, such as Philip Danaher and perhaps now Brian O'Meara, came back again. Others, such as Niall Malone and, another onetime Garryowen wunderkind, Nicky Barry, did not. His club coach, John Hall, gives his players their head, while astutely lessening Staunton's load by using Killian Keane for restarts and penalties to touch, as well as at goal. "I'm not your normal outhalf I suppose," Staunton admits.

"I play the game the way I like to play it anyway. Every opportunity you get to run it, run it sensibly, but I like to play it on the edge, a bit like David Campese. Every time I make a break and put in a winger in space or whatever, it's brilliant. Even if you get a good kick, so what. That's what out-halves are supposed to do. I like an exciting game," he says with a smile.

Staunton has had this approach ever since he began playing with Galbally aged seven. Former Galbally teammates and friends still come up to him and say: "You never lost it Staunton, you're still at the same old tricks, throwing dummies."

He was hugely influenced by his father Willie and his mother Anne, and then in turn by Philip Danaher and Hall. Anne is already part of the Staunton legend. "She's incredible," Jeremy admits, laughing loud as he recalls scoring an intercept try to win a Cup tie against Rockwell from his own 22, "and before I touched down she was there at the corner flag with me. She does a lot of shouting as well."

Accompanying his father to internationals, the young Staunton quickly deduced that the out-half was the guy who got the ball the most. "Even then," he recalls giggling to himself, "I'd think `I don't like the way this international outhalf is playing, this is the way it should be played'."

Initially, by his own admission, a greedy player, schools' rugby with St Munchin's taught him the value of collectivity. He felt his career taking off after scoring a try, drop goal, penalty and conversion in a losing Munster Senior Schools Cup final against PBC.

Knee ligament and cartilage injuries disrupted his first season with Garryowen, though there was a prolific, captaincy role in a successful Irish Youths team.

He's also a bit of a perfectionist. Hence, if he feels he hasn't played well, or if he hasn't enjoyed the way he and his team went about winning the game (like in a dour Irish Youths win over Wales last season), he can be a bit grumpy about it.

And, of course, being a Limerick boy, "I don't mind losing, I hate losing. Especially against Cork," he laughs. "I've enough of them beating me. No, I love winning, but the enjoyment is what keeps me going."

Then, suddenly, he comes over all sensible. "This (today's final) is going to be a big pressure game. There's going to be very little individualism going on. It's going to be about whoever wants it most. That's what finals are all about, winning. Lansdowne Road is no place to lose on Saturday afternoon."