La Rochelle coach Ronan O'Gara expressed concerns about his team's performance despite a narrow victory over Toulouse reserves. He believes the win could serve as a wake-up call ahead of their crucial Champions Cup clash against Leinster.
Ronan O'Gara is hoping that his side's narrow victory over Toulouse's second string is a wake-up call with Leinster coming to La Rochelle on Sunday. O'Gara has been unhappy with his team's performance for a lot of this season, although they are ahead of Leinster by the narrowest of margins at the top of Pool B in the Champions Cup ahead of their latest collision. The last-gasp 22-19 home win over a weakened Toulouse unit has only added to his worries.
La Rochelle beat Leinster in the 2022 and 2023 Champions Cup finals but lost twice to Leo Cullen's charges last term, in the pool stages and the quarter-finals. 'I always think a lot,' said O'Gara after the Toulouse game. 'I love sports. From 18 to 30, I was more of an 'underdog' than Nadal or Federer. I have confidence. With me, we will find solutions, quickly. Leinster arrives on Sunday. Maybe this is the wake-up call we need. 'I'm not going to lose confidence in my players. It's a difficult time, but in English, we say ‘when it rains, it pours' That's how it is right now. Since my time at Crusaders, I see the glass half full now. But, at the moment, everyone - and me, too, in recent months - has seen the team half empty. And it’s not going to change (just) like that. Toulouse are not the right team to try and change, especially with the team they have chosen. I'm not looking for excuses, I'm always looking for progression. We will appreciate the four points. But right now, it's like a defeat! It's hard, right now. We need to change something. If I knew what, I would have done it already. We are suffering, our game is suffering. We are not taking pleasure. But it can change. Everyone is negative, but it happens because success creates a lot of problem
Champions Cup La Rochelle Leinster Ronan O'gara Rugby Performance
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