page_title: Ronan O'Gara
section_title: 2008–2011
hierarchical_section_title: Ronan O'Gara / Ireland / 2008–2011
caption_attribution_description: Ireland rugby union&#160;: 2009 Ireland grand slam day. Celebration.
context_page_description: Ronan John Ross O'Gara is an Irish former rugby union player and current coach. O'Gara played as a fly-half and is Ireland's second most-capped player and highest ever points scorer. He is currently head coach of La Rochelle in the French Top 14.
  O'Gara won 128 caps for Ireland, winning three Triple Crowns and the Grand Slam in 2009. He also played on three British and Irish Lions tours, winning two caps. He played for sixteen seasons with Munster, with whom he won two Heineken Cups.
  O'Gara is the eighth most-capped and is the fourth highest points scorer in the history of test rugby. He is also Munster's all-time leading scorer, and holds the Heineken Cup record for points and caps. O'Gara scored several match-winning drop goals for Ireland, including in the 78th minute of the Wales vs Ireland match in the 2009 Six Nations Championship, in which Ireland won the Grand Slam.
context_section_description: On 11 March 2008, O'Gara was named as Ireland team captain for the first time in his career, leading the side in the Six Nations match against England at Twickenham.
  On 14 March 2009, O'Gara overtook Jonny Wilkinson to become the top Six Nations point scorer ever. On 20 March 2009, he scored a late drop goal in the 78th minute to beat Wales and secure for Ireland their first Grand Slam for 61 years. O'Gara started against Australia in the first match of Ireland's 2009 November Series, scoring 10 points. He then lost his place in the starting line-up to Jonathan Sexton and did not play against Fiji or South Africa.
  O'Gara regained the fly-half spot in Ireland's opening 2010 Six Nations Championship games against Italy and France, but was back on the bench for the remaining three games. He had a 100% kicking record for the 2010 Six Nations. O'Gara was selected in Ireland's squad for their 2010 Summer Tour to New Zealand and Australia, and started against New Zealand, converting 3 tries, but was on the bench for the Australia test. O'Gara became the third Irishman to win 100 caps when he came off the bench during Ireland's first 2010 Autumn Series test against South Africa. He started against Samoa and scored 15 points, including a try. He came off the bench against New Zealand and Argentina.
  He came off the bench against Italy and France in the 2011 Six Nations Championship, and started against Scotland, winning the title of Man of the Match. He started against Wales and became the first Irishman to score over 1,000 points in international matches. He came off the bench against England, as Ireland prevented them from winning a Grand Slam.
  O'Gara was selected in Ireland's squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He played in all of Ireland's pool games, coming of the bench against the United States and Australia, and starting against Russia. In the Russia game, he became Ireland's highest points scorer in World Cup matches. He was selected ahead of Jonathan Sexton for Ireland's crunch Pool C game against Italy, and scored 16 points as Ireland won 36–6. He retained the fly-half jersey for Ireland's quarter-final against Wales, scoring a penalty and a conversion as Ireland lost 22–10.
  In an interview after Ireland's 15–6 World Cup victory over Australia on 17 September 2011, O'Gara hinted at his possible retirement from international rugby after the conclusion of the World Cup, but subsequently said that his words had been misinterpreted.
caption: O'Gara (Red jersey) celebrates after winning Ireland's Grand Slam in 2009.
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