Johnny Sexton has revealed that Ronan O’Gara texted him during the week to suggest meeting for an eve-of-match coffee in Marseille, but the Leinster captain said that the timeframe of the two squads’ build-up meant they were unable to do so.
“He texted me. He just asked if I wanted to meet for coffee but the times didn’t allow. Very busy today,” he said with a smile after Leinster’s captain’s run in the shiny and steepling 67,000 capacity Stade Velodrome.
O’Gara smiled when informed of Sexton’s answer at the ensuing press conference held by La Rochelle and good-naturedly said: “I think he’s happier than his hotel wasn’t near mine because he wasn’t too keen on the coffee.”
But the hard-earned respect between the two, generated over the years and primarily from their time working together at Racing 92, was palpable.
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“He’s done a fantastic job with them,” said Sexton of O’Gara’s job with La Rochelle. “Fair play to him, getting to three finals in a row, that’s a great achievement with a team that historically wasn’t a powerhouse in France. But someone like Jono Gibbes needs to take huge credit for that as well, for the work that he’s done over the last couple of years. We know him well obviously.
“So yeah, they’re a team to be reckoned with and they obviously knocked us out last year, so that’s all our focus. Myself and Rog, I don’t even know how to think about that considering I’m a player and he’s a coach.
“I thought the [Felipe] Contepomi clash would have been more interesting, to be honest,” he said with a wry smile before quipping: “And I don’t think they’ve been in touch.”
When asked to discuss Sexton’s importance to Leinster, O’Gara responded: “I don’t have an hour, genuinely, to explain what he’s good at. I think when you come out of your playing days, you see the game a little bit differently, you see the importance of relationships, you see the importance of enjoying the journey - a lot of people I enjoyed it with aren’t around any more, they passed away unfortunately - so you’ve got to be reminded we’re in a great place, you’ve got to be able to enjoy tomorrow.
“I’ve experienced every emotion with Johnny and I respect him a lot. I enjoy his mindset, and I enjoy how he goes about his business.”
Joking that Sexton was perhaps not keen on that coffee, O’Gara added: “I can drink coke tomorrow or drink water, the boys have got to suffer on both teams and they’ve got to prepare mentally, and I’ve got to prepare mentally as the coach, that’s for certain.
“But he’s going to be 37 in July and that’s some achievement to be playing the way he is at the minute. We need to get stuck into him, that’s the biggest compliment I can give him because I think they play differently when he’s on the pitch.”
Although Tadhg Furlong and James Lowe did not look as if they were going to be taking part in the captain’s run, Leo Cullen maintained there was never much doubt about them playing.
Will Skelton did train, and O’Gara described his return to the starting line-up as “a massive boost”.
“I don’t think you can overestimate what he will do for our team. Thee are very few players in the world like him. It’s been a really careful plan to try and get it to this stage. It’s delicate when you have a frame like he has and unique calf muscles like he has but he is ready to go.”
While La Rochelle’s scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow was not named by O’Gara, Cullen was not alone in cheerily suggesting the ex-All Black, World Cup winner might yet play.
“Maybe he will play tomorrow, I don’t know. You’d want to ask the people coming into the press conference next. But playing with a broken hand, it’s going to be pretty challenging for a 9, more than any other position on the field, I would imagine. With Berjon, he’s a good young player who comes in to replace him.
“We’ve tried putting together a plan to pressurise the nine, the half-backs in general, so again it’s just to try execute on the plan. [Thomas] Berjon is a good young player, but again it’s important that he feels the pressure.
“Kerr-Barlow is a hugely experienced player, obviously played for the All Blacks, a huge signing for La Rochelle and a big presence over the last couple of seasons, so if he’s not there I’m sure he will be a loss, but again, we’ll see what team runs out at 5.45 tomorrow.”
