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'That's where we'll see what he's made of': O'Gara has sympathy for Burns blunder and O'Mahony red

The La Rochelle head coach feels more red cards are inevitable when the ruck changes so rapidly.

LAST UPDATE | 8 Feb 2021

‘I’VE DONE IT a few times myself,’ says Ronan O’Gara, but he’s not layering on any extra sugar on the sympathy he has for Billy Burns after his last-ditch kick to touch was badly overcooked in yesterday’s 21-16 Six Nations loss to Wales.

The best advice the legendary out-half can offer Burns at this point is to make sure, if presented with a similar scenario, he doesn’t miss the kick long again.

Miss short, there’s still a chance. Miss long and, well, here we are.

“Nowadays, the five-metre line is the goal-line for a kicker,” says O’Gara as he helped launch the Aviva Mini Rugby Virtual Skills Hub.

The traditional corner flag is of no relevance – you cannot get a line-out nearer than the five-metre line. Why would you even think of kicking for the corner flag?”

Even over a mid-morning Zoom call, O’Gara’s animated passion for the subject shines through. His hands shape touchlines in front of his laptop screen as he allows for a 4.99 metre margin of error if the kick is aimed at the five rather than the flag.

“Your error rate can be the five metres previous to that. If you miss your target by five, you have a lineout 10 metres out.”

It was a weekend when kicks from hands brought O’Gara through a gamut of wows to winces. Saturday’s gorgeous, long Stuart Hogg spiral - ”It’s a skill that needs a lot of work, but once you nail it, you have it for life and it’s undefendable” helped Scotland take down England in Twickenham. He admits he could do with another angle of Burns’ kick, but initial views suggest the technique was awry.

“I thought it missed by a lot, which I’d say [it was a case of] head up, looking at outcome. As opposed to, I’ve done it a few times myself, you’ve got to watch the ball onto your foot.”

While calls for Ross Byrne’s reintroduction grew immediately on the full-time whistle in Cardiff, O’Gara doesn’t see the need for Andy Farrell to instantly change his pecking order at 10.

ronan-ogara O'Gara launching the Aviva Mini Rugby Virtual Skills Hub, which will take place over next week’s mid-term break. Families and clubs across Ireland are invited to sign up at www.aviva.ie/safetodreamteam. Farid Makhlouf / INPHO Farid Makhlouf / INPHO / INPHO

“But sure that’s where we’ll see his character now, that’s where we’ll see what he’s made of. It’s all well and good when everything is rosy. He’s had a setback. Everyone in top level sport is going to have setbacks. He can feel sorry for himself last night. But chin up today and get back to work. Get working on it straight away.

“It’s just about what he’ll learn from it. That’s the important thing because it’s disappointing yesterday. And he’ll be the most disappointed, he doesn’t need to be told but it will more disappointing for him if, in the next scenario for Ulster in a Heineken Cup game or for Ireland in the future, he does the same – then people will get frustrated.”

While Burns’ errant kick sealed Wales’ victory, Ireland’s defeat was most shaped by the early red card for Peter O’Mahony. In that instance it’s far from a simple case of making sure it doesn’t happen again.

peter-omahony-leaves-the-field-after-being-red-carded Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

“You could have a red card a game,” says the La Rochelle head coach with an exasperated expression. There is no question the punishment for O’Mahony was warranted once contact was made with the head of Tomas Francis. But approaching a dynamic ruck, slowing down or pulling back are the last things on the mind of any decent back row.

If you’ve a (David) Pocock or, in my team (Levani) Botia, lock onto a ball, you have no chance of removing him unless you’re coming at high speed.”

“The massive takeaway for me from the weekend is: live in action the referee (Wayne Barnes is saying): ‘it’s a clear-out, nothing wrong, totally unavoidable’. To then be stopped 40 seconds later by his TMO and his language changes because we’re looking at a still: ‘foul play, from a distance, high-speed, hit in the head, not in control, high danger.  Sanction is a red card.’

“And I do think (O’Mahony) was in control of his body. I didn’t think it was high danger.”

No danger until Tomas Francis twists around to see O’Mahony coming his way.

“So many times we land on the back of Francis… the head pops up,  that happens like that,” O’Gara says with a click of his fingers.

The margin for error at the ruck changes in an instant.

Ronan O’Gara was speaking at the launch of the Aviva Mini Rugby Virtual Skills Hub, which will take place over next week’s mid-term break.  Families and clubs across Ireland are invited to sign up at www.aviva.ie/safetodreamteam.

First published today at 13.40

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    Mute Nathan Mawhinney
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    Feb 8th 2021, 2:09 PM

    I thought Burns and Gibson park played well when they came on. They brought the Tempo up and that’s exactly why Burns is in the team, to bring something different. The Kick was unforgivable but the abuse yesterday was unreal by some fans.

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    Mute Killian Bushell
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    Feb 8th 2021, 2:20 PM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: it wasn’t just that kick, he’d one other very poor kick and a pass from hands that lost significant ground. You can have a bad day but, and I’m speaking as a Munster man, Ross Byrne is the second best out-half in Ireland, at least until Joey Carberry is fit, if Joey Cerberry gets fit.

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    Mute Nathan Mawhinney
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    Feb 8th 2021, 2:53 PM

    @Killian Bushell: I get ya. The cross field kick that went out on the full was bad but he’s only getting started. I don’t think Ross Byrne offers anything different to Sexton. He’s a good basic 10. Carbery is our man if fit like you said, but Byrne for me at least will always be a poor mans sexton (hopefully he can prove me wrong.)

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    Mute Killian Bushell
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    Feb 8th 2021, 3:42 PM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: he made the difference between Munster and Leinster last week, that little grubber was exceptional. He’ll always be seen that way because he plays in Leinster and in the Leinster way. He’s a quality out-half I think

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    Mute BMJF
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    Feb 8th 2021, 11:54 PM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: they did … wouldn’t be hard … sexton & Murray too slow. I honestly think if we were most other 6nations sides Harry Byrne wouldn’t be sat at home and would possibly even be starting … this nonsense about doing your time and protecting the player is bullshit – he’s clearly got the skill set and temperament to operate at this level

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    Mute BMJF
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    Feb 8th 2021, 11:54 PM

    @Killian Bushell: Harry Byrne is Better than Ross!!

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    Mute Fintan O'Halloran
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    Feb 9th 2021, 3:35 AM

    @Nathan Mawhinney: that’s a little kind. Burns had many disasters prior to his disaster and Jgp, oh good heavens, God, I am left speechless on your opinion. But all to their opinion

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Feb 8th 2021, 2:35 PM

    It’s a pity they didn’t stop and watch the head butt tackle made on Ringrose, even the deliberate knock on in a one score game how was that not more than a penalty.

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 7:10 PM

    @Chris Mc: Barnes man.. my stomach sinks when I see his name especially when we play Wales. Phillips quick lineout throw while standing 2 yards on the field comes to mind for the winning try a few years ago.. hugely overrated ref..

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    Mute Chris Mc
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    Feb 8th 2021, 8:46 PM

    @PScald: from his let’s looks at the facts, he didn’t do much looking at the Welsh. Not arguing with POM’s card but they should have had at least one yellow.

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 9:41 PM

    @Chris Mc: Tomkins intentional knock on for sure was a yellow.. not sure about the Ringrose head clash. It did at least warrant a second look which his TMO should have brought to his attention.. Matt Carley is England’s best ref currently.. off topic, as much as I dislike Barnes’s style he’s miles better than any Irish ref at the moment which is really sad to say..

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    Mute Gearoid Stakelum
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    Feb 9th 2021, 2:48 AM

    @PScald: he used a different ball to the one which went over the sideline and shouldn’t have been allowed to take a quick lineout as the ball had hit a Welsh backroom official who actually gave him the incorrect ball. It was a terrible transgression of the rules and caused us to lose the game. Barnes is deplorable.

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    Mute k mcnamara
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    Feb 9th 2021, 7:56 AM

    @Chris Mc: 100% …not malicious out of Wales centre but reckless and head high at speed….so to the letter of the law!!!!!

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    Mute Jack Kennedy
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    Feb 9th 2021, 3:59 PM

    @PScald: That wasn’t Barnes.Jonathan Kaplan.

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    Mute Jamie Bent
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    Feb 8th 2021, 1:50 PM

    Have noticed Hoggs Spiral is very similar to what ROGs was. A thing of beauty to watch!

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    Mute Smiley
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    Feb 8th 2021, 2:23 PM

    On a positive for Burns at least Kinihan doesn’t “support” rugby

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    Mute Rudiger McMonihan
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    Feb 8th 2021, 5:10 PM

    Almost everything there was correct and insightful. But I hate when pundits effectively victim blame by saying the guy who got hit had his head in the wrong place. Commentators said the same about VDF when he was taken out of it recently. It’s the responsibility of the player making the hit, not to connect with his opponents head. If that isnt possible then dont make the hit. Accept that they turned it over and move on. People who say “but you cant let them just take the ball” are wrong. What’s worse, a turnover or a red card? It’s the same as punching someone in the face who is making an interception. You stop the intercept, but you get a red card.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Feb 8th 2021, 5:48 PM

    @Rudiger McMonihan: Totally, Francis wasn’t competing for the ball, just found himself off his feet in an offside position, which would have been an Irish penalty, can’t rely on the ref there tho, especially if there’s no player ‘highlighting’ the situation. I guess players are taught different these days, the old ways were dark if you found yourself on the floor in an offside position…

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 7:22 PM

    @Rudiger McMonihan: want to preface this by saying poms red card was the correct decision. However your punching someone on the face analogy is a false equivalence. Punching someone in the face was never a way to deal with an intercept. Clearing out a player over your ball has been a part of rugby training for as long as I can remember. saying that POM had his arm raised and kept it so entering the ruck and it was a dirty play. Mitigation is he didn’t leave his feet. I thought Barnes left that part out when explaing his decision. Barnes said he came in at great speed however he had control and as I said didn’t leave his feet. Francis wasn’t in a position to steal the ball only slow it…

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 7:23 PM

    @Rudiger McMonihan: POM should have entered ruck and brought the refs attention to that fact that Francis was in a poor illegal position and win the peno.. whether Barnes would have given it is a thesis for PhD in his style of reffing

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    Mute Lesidees
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    Feb 8th 2021, 7:36 PM

    @PScald: but he did leave his feet – he dived in, almost horizontal

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 7:47 PM

    @Lesidees: he Nevers leaves his feet. And that’s not to say he didn’t deserve the red. Red all day long. The illegal part is the raised elbow to the face at “great speed” as Wayne says.. just watched it again there.. dunno why sexton rucked Francis in in the first place. Should have just pushed him out of the way.. anyways Monday morning quarterbacking is easy.. that’s poms season up In smoke. Dope

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    Mute Lesidees
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    Feb 8th 2021, 9:06 PM

    @PScald: look again. He dives in, both feet off the ground at one point, not supporting his own weight…

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 9:37 PM

    @Lesidees: I have. He doesn’t launch in off both feet. He’s in control all the way. In fact Barnes was fine with the clear out until he saw the elbow to the face..

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    Mute Lesidees
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    Feb 8th 2021, 9:58 PM

    @PScald: yes, I know Barnes was fine with the clear out. He was wrong

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    Mute Lesidees
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    Feb 8th 2021, 10:01 PM

    @PScald: about 16 to 18 seconds in, left foot off the ground, right foot grazing Sector’s thigh

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    Mute Rudiger McMonihan
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    Feb 8th 2021, 10:54 PM

    @PScald: my analogy was deliberately a ridiculous thing that nobody would ever do, but the act itself and the outcome are extremely similar: Using a head collision to prevent a turn over. To be honest I’d rather get a punch than have someone take a run up and launch their entire body at my head. Also the main point I was making is that I’m sick of pundits using the victims head position as an excuse. It’s the old “they’re asking for it” argument. The victim isnt to blame. It’s the person committing the foul who is in the wrong, so let’s all stop using head position as an excuse.

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 9th 2021, 12:35 AM

    @Lesidees: mate, you were saying earlier he was horizontal.. now your telling me his feet left the ground for around 2 seconds. If his right foot is on Sexton’s thigh he doesn’t leave the ground. He is in control of his body weight. I mean it doesn’t really matter as it’s a dirty play and deserved red card. No need to be trying to make it any worse than it already is

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 9th 2021, 12:41 AM

    @Rudiger McMonihan: what pundit said Francis was to blame? Yeah, clear outs are vicious. What’s worse about this one is Francis was tackled into the ruck by Sexton and just lying prone… what pom did is Just a nasty thing to do to anyone.. all pom had to do was grab him and milk the peno..

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 9th 2021, 12:45 AM

    @Lesidees: https://youtu.be/7BwFT1oseLg that’s leaving your feet in a clear out..

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    Mute Lesidees
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    Feb 8th 2021, 6:23 PM

    The notion that O’Mahony was in control is nonsense – he dived into the ruck, both feet off the ground.

    On the other hand, if he was in control and deliberately went in leading with his forearm, he should get a very long suspension

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 7:51 PM

    @Lesidees: https://youtu.be/CreJDCJWnJs
    he doesn’t leave his feet. Still a horrible thing to do raising your elbow like that.. Long suspension coming

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    Mute Bob Ashley
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    Feb 8th 2021, 8:05 PM

    @PScald: ya tbf he was clearly on his feet, just should have tried and wrap to player.

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    Mute PScald
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    Feb 8th 2021, 8:09 PM

    @Bob Ashley: totally.. and at the very least not elbow him in the face.. smh

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    Mute Owen Taaffe
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    Feb 9th 2021, 8:43 AM

    As a by-the-way, both Welsh tries came on Lowe’s wing when he didn’t defend his touchline.

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    Mute Nigel Barlow
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    Feb 9th 2021, 12:32 AM

    Bet you’re all looking at slow mo. Which of course is how a human always behaves. Whtn played in real time, he’s not off his feet, for what it matters it’s the forearm that comes into contact with face (hence no broken zygoma) and he was off by a second or two. In that time welsh player raises head. However POM still to explain what he was attempting – no attempt to wrap – but then is there ever in high speed clear outs? Perhaps that needs to be outlawed and take your chances with the ref spotting side entry, slowing the game down and offside. 2 offences and then third onwards yellow card or automatic 3 points and a kick off ?

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