Wales Online got themselves all worked up yesterday after Ronan O'Gara reportedly "launched a no pride blast" at Wales rugby.
Now this is the standard selective lifting of comments to suit a sensationalist story but what is interesting here is that the comments stem from O'Gara's weekly (and excellent) Irish Examiner column from way back on January 3rd. Quite why comments made three weeks ago were deemed worthy of a story yesterday is anyone's guess but far from stopping there our friends across the water also called it an "explosive blast at Welsh rugby and its players" and an "astonishing verbal assault". The quotes that instigated this outrage?
“The Welsh have nothing to keep their players at home for they have no pride in the provincial product,” claimed O’Gara in the Irish Examiner.
“They’ve achieved nothing in the regions, it’s about the Welsh jersey,” he continued, referring to the Heineken Cup rather that the RaboDirect Pro12, which has been won a record four-times by the Ospreys.
“They enhance their profile by playing with their country, whereas in Ireland, so many of the players are folk idols because of what they have done at provincial level.
“It’s practically on a par with the international team, which may not be right in some eyes, but the people of Dublin and Leinster and the people in Munster adore those who wear their jersey.
“Money notwithstanding, it is far better for an Irish player to be at home, because the top talent gets managed really well there.”
Won't somebody please think of the regions!!!???
