O'Gara: 'Carter is our Messi or Ronaldo'
Ronan O'Gara was named European Rugby's best tournament player of all time in 2011, after dominating the continental landscape over a 16 year career at Munster. The former Ireland playmaker lifted the European Cup twice, reached four finals and ten semi-finals.
But this is the first time O'Gara has helped lead a team to the last-four from the sidelines. The Racing 92 skills coach has been influential as the Parisians battled through the pool stages before dumping champions RC Toulon out at the quarter-finals. And European Rugby's record points scorer O'Gara has hailed Carter's role in Racing masterplan.
He said: "Dan has contributed a lot but there were building blocks in place even before he arrived. I suppose you have Messi and Ronaldo in the soccer and there's Carter in rugby world. But it's very hard to compare them.
"His ability with or without ball gives us presence, leadership and control. But for us it is not based upon one pair of shoulders alone, we have others like Johan Goosen who have done a job there. Other players can fare as well. But he has extraordinary ability."
Racing's defeat of Toulon earned them a trip across the English Channel to take on the Leicester Tigers at Nottingham's famed City Ground. Richard Cockerill's men hammered French champions Stade Francais en-route to the final four. And O'Gara says his charges are relishing Sunday's make-or-break clash.
He said: "Beating Toulon was special last time out, they're from the same league, now it is an English team in a football stadium and they both have a lot of history. We have big game players, this is the biggest stage for them.
"It's very easy for me to prepare because it is an exciting week. I'm looking forward to Sunday, we are competing in the Top 14 and that is a hard championship so getting into the English sunshine is really exciting for us."
Aaron Mauger played outside Carter in an All Blacks shirt before becoming his coach at Super Rugby's Crusaders. He has since moved north to Welford Road and constructed an attacking blueprint that has seen the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Telusa Veainu and Vereniki Goneva sparkle.
O'Gara added: "Theirs is a New Zealand template and they're a country who know most about rugby in the world. They are really organised and playing potent rugby. They kept it tight in past, when we used to play them. They had a monster pack, line-out drives, unbelievably big characters."
Source: @ChampionsCup
