After last week's column in the Irish Examiner, it would have been understandable for Irish fans to think that Ronan O'Gara was on his way back to Ireland with his family. The attacks on Paris would have anyone thinking that it may be time for the next stage in life and when O'Gara wrote that he's 'looking homewards again' it's easy to see why fans may be expecting to see him involved in Irish rugby sooner rather than later.
Reports soon followed that O'Gara was being lined up by the Irish setup for a place on Joe Schmidt's coaching team but, according to the man himself, there's no chance of that happening any time soon. O'Gara has taken another look at the Paris situation in this week's Examiner column and, like a true Parisian, his response is now one of defiance.
It's odd for me, but this club and Paris is beginning to grow on me, somewhere I could get attached to. That’s why the last two weeks sort of shook me to the core.
O'Gara admits that the Paris attacks set off 'a train of thought' but, with an extra week's thoughts on the matter, he's clear that France, and the Top 14, is 'where it's at'.
I'll always be for Munster, of Munster, but I won’t be going near it anytime soon. The best rugby players are over here now. Without a doubt, I am in France for a good few years yet.
There were times in my first season where the grass still looked very green at home, but this year I am thinking differently.
A lot of fans will be disappointed to hear that and O'Gara would certainly bring a lot to Ireland or Munster at the moment but, as he says himself, there's still plenty left for him to learn in France.
