Ronan O'Gara
 O'Gara playing for Munster in a Heineken Cup match against USAP. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Weight | 83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Presentation Brothers College, Cork | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ronan John Ross O'Gara (born 7 March 1977, San Diego, California, USA) is an Irish rugby union footballer, occupying the fly-half position (usually called "out half" in Ireland) for both Munster and Ireland. He toured with the Lions on their tours to Australia in 2001, and New Zealand in 2005 - although was edged out of the Test team on both tours. Other caps include: Irish International, Ireland "A", Ireland U21, Munster Interprovincial, AIL 1998-99, Captained winning teams for Presentation Brothers College, Cork in Senior and Junior Cups.
O'Gara is a steady fly-half with good kicking abilities, although his critics have pointed to weaknesses in his running and passing game as well as offering only a weak defence of the out-half channel. Nonetheless, he has earned the record of highest points scorer in the history of the European Rugby Cup, currently totalling over 750 points.
2006 was one of O'Gara's best seasons, overtaking David Humphreys' Ireland points record and winning the Triple Crown with Ireland in the Six Nations, as well as being an instrumental figure in Munster's Heineken Cup winning side and a third place finish in the Celtic League.
Famous moments:
- Duncan McRae piles in blow after blow during a blood-stained match between New South Wales Waratahs and the British and Irish Lions in 2001. O'Gara needed eight stitches to repair the cuts inflicted by the former Saracens player. McRae was only handed a seven-week ban for his brutal assault.
- O'Gara scores all of Ireland's points in a 17-12 win over the South Africa Springboks at Lansdowne Road on 13 November 2004.
- Two weeks later (27 November), O'Gara kicks a last-minute drop goal to give Ireland a 21-19 victory over Argentina. As in the Springboks Test, O'Gara scores all of Ireland's points. O'Gara won the man-of-the-match awards against both South Africa and Argentina.
- O'Gara scores all of Ireland's points in their 18-9 win over the Australian Wallabies at Lansdowne Road in the Autumn tests 2003.
- O'Gara's last-minute conversion against Gloucester on 18 January 2003 helped Munster to a 27-point victory which took them through to the Heineken Cup Quarter Final against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road at the expense of Gloucester; This match against Gloucester has become etched into Munster Rugby's Folklore as: The "Miracle Match".
- On Saturday the 21st of October 2006 O'Gara kicks a last minute penalty from inside his own half to hand Munster a 21-19 victory over Leicester in the first round of the pool stages at Welford Road,Leicester
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