With coach Rob Penney favouring a more expansive style to some critics O’Gara is not the man for the Munster No.10 jersey.

However with Ireland set to begin their RBS 6 Nations preparations in earnest with Tests against South Africa and Argentina next month Penney reckons the evergreen O’Gara is ready for whatever challenges he’s faced with.

“Ronan has been a world-class player for a long time now and he has represented everybody at the highest level with a great deal of talent and dignity,” Penney told the Irish Independent.

“He's just been a wonderful, wonderful player over a long period of time. Ronan is as excited about playing the game now as what I envisage he was 10 years ago.

“And he is going through a growth phase himself, which is stimulating for him, on the back of Ian Keatley, who has done a tremendous job.”