WHEN Eddie O’Sullivan was coaching the US Eagles in the late ‘90s, a holidaying young Ronan O’Gara met him for a meal in San Francisco.

At the time, O’Gara was Ireland’s third choice out-half.

He had been capped by the ‘A’ team in April ‘99 and added to the preliminary training squad for that autumn’s Rugby World Cup. But they went with Eric Elwood as back-up to David Humphreys and chose to bring a third prop instead of O’Gara.

O’Sullivan floated the idea of O’Gara coming to play in America.

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That would have ruled him out of contention with Ireland.

It was loose talk that never amounted to anything but it spoke to his need for patience, which wasn’t exactly his strong suit.

The shoe was on the other foot by the time Declan Kidney gave Johnny Sexton the nod against South Africa in 2009.

O’Gara was glued to his seat as Sexton kicked all 15 points and Ireland beat the world champions.

In between times, O’Gara had become an Irish legend, the all-time leading points scorer and the man who kicked that drop goal to end the........

© The Irish News