Ronan O'Gara - Tapa dura

Ronan O'Gara is quite simply one of the greatest sportsmen Ireland has ever produced. A brilliant kicker both from the hand and at penalty goals, a sublime orchestrator of play from the out-half position he has made his own, and a cool head in the pressure-cooker of club and international rugby, the list of the Cork man's achievements goes on and on. He was the leading points scorer in Irish rugby history, and one of the top ten in the world. He was the leading points scorer in the history of the Heineken Cup. He was the first ever points and try scorer at the home of Gaelic sports, Croke Park. In his candid, illuminating autobiography, O'Gara tells the story of those many on-field successes, including the glorious year of 2006, when his tactical prowess and will to win first helped guide Ireland to the Triple Crown in the Six Nations championship, then Munster to a memorable Heineken Cup victory over Biarritz at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.O'Gara kicked a perfect five out of five in the 23-19 win that glorious May day, as Munster lifted the coveted trophy for the first time, sparking wild celebrations heard all the way back in Limerick and Cork. Two years later, he was no less instrumental as Munster won the cup for a second time, beating Toulouse. Yet in any sporting career there are setbacks as well, and O'Gara does not shy away from addressing the darker days, most notably at the 2007 World Cup. He tells the inside story of Ireland's disappointments in France, and responds to the allegations about his personal life that made front-page news that autumn. "Ronan O'Gara: My Autobiography" is the story of an Irish rugby hero, of a life lived to the full, and of a passionate and proud representative of the people of Cork and Ireland.

Ronan O'Gara was born in 1977 in California and brought up in Cork. He was a star player at Presentation Brothers College, University College Cork and Cork Constitution, and soon became a key member of the Irish national rugby squad. Since making his international debut in 2000, O'Gara has gone on to win more than 80 caps and score more than 800 points for both Ireland in internationals and for Munster in the Heineken Cup - both record tallies. He was the leading points scorer in the Six Nations championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007, capturing the Triple Crown with Ireland in three of the last four years, and won the European Cup with Munster in 2006 and again in 2008.