'It's a special day, a special story' - O'Gara's stock higher than ever after historic La Rochelle win

Ronan O'Gara's agent could be a busy man in the next 12 months.

This morning, the former Ireland international's share price is as high as any coach in the game. He may have only signed a contract extension last year which runs up until 2024, but getting that deal extended will be the number one priority for La Rochelle president Vincent Merlin, especially with a World Cup just over a year away and international unions lurking.

Were he to go looking in the morning, O'Gara could probably choose his next ticket. His next move, whenever it arrives, will be fascinating.

When he traded Christchurch for the west of France in 2019, he was venturing into the unknown. At Racing 92 and Crusaders, not to mention his playing days at Munster, he was used to environments where winning was an expectation rather than just a desire.

La Rochelle were no Mickey Mouse outfit in 2019 though. Challenge Cup finalists the season before he arrived, and semi-finalists in the Top14 that year, they were a club with big ambitions and a budget to go along with it. But they lacked a winning culture.

Before convincing those in the club that the Champions Cup was a competition they could win, he first had to convince them it was a competition they needed to win, admitting the prospect of being European champions seemed "way off" three years ago.

"You could see it coming together," he said, as he sat beside the shining trophy following Saturday's defeat of Leinster.

"The boys were probably a bit shocked by how much I love the competition. It's only when you go to France that you see what the 'Bouclier' [Top14 shield] means.

"It's a fantastic competition [Top14]. It’s a marathon, but they weren’t used to the Champions Cup. They didn’t play that many games in it