Ronan O’Gara believes Munster rugby would be in a poorer place without the involvement of former team-mate Anthony Foley.
Earlier this week the two-time European champions announced that former Springbok Johan 'Rassie' Erasmus will assume the new director of rugby position at the province and it remains unclear what role head coach Foley will have in the new set-up.
Foley signed a one-year extension just last month and has said he expects to see out the deal, but some have questioned whether the former Munster captain will re-evaluate his position.
"If Axel didn’t fit in with them because he’s be a massive loss to Munster rugby”
While admitting he is looking on like all other Munster supporters, the Racing 92 kicking and defence coach hopes that Foley will continue in some capacity for the 2016/17 season.
“I’m an outsider looking at it, but it seeems he’s [Erasmus] the Director of Rugby is the head coach, and that’s probably the key point,” he told 2fm’s Game On programme.
“He’ll do the coaching. That has different implications.
“It’s a case of Axel [Foley] hopefully fitting in because it would be an awful shame if Axel didn’t fit in with them because he’s be a massive loss to Munster rugby.”
With two games remaining in the Guinness Pro12 season, seventh place Munster could leapfrog Edinburgh when they host the Scots in Cork tomorrow evening.
A place in the play-offs is a long shot after defeats to Leinster and Connacht, but Foley will be hoping they can salvage their disappointing season with a top six finish to secure Champions Cup qualification.
“He wants to win and he’s frustrated,” O’Gara told listeners.
“Sometimes, and I’m only in the management game a small bit, you have to show the opposite reaction to how you are feeling.
“He is suffering, but he can’t make his players suffer. They have two games to turn it all around.”
Some critics have put forward the notion that the quality of the squad isn’t what is has been in the past and that the work ethic may be on the slide, but Ireland’s record points scorer rejects the latter suggestion.
“Sometimes it can mean too much and emotion can effect your performance. You have to get the balance right. When you are playing for your local team it can mean so much to you that you go over the edge.”
Edinburgh will pose a serious threat to those European ambitions, having won three of their last five league matches. On the road they have struggled, with only one win since the turn of the year, but they did win the corresponding fixture last season, a one-point victory at Thomond Park.
O’Gara says the fact the match will take place at Irish Independent Park is a huge fillip for the home side.
“It’s a masterstroke it is in Cork," he said.
“It will be a full house and it will feel like the old days and the crowd will get in behind them.
“It’s going to be a case of controlling pressure. The last thing Munster need is someone losing the head and getting a red card after five minutes.”
