Dream team.

Ronan O’Gara says he’s disappointed to see that former teammate Paul O’Connell will leave his role as forwards coach of Stade Francais at the end of the season.

O’Connell and the French side broke the news earlier this week, with the former Ireland lock set to step down after just one season. O’Gara though, says it was coming and reckons O’Connell’s “values” weren’t shared at the club.

“I was a bit disappointed to see it confirmed that Paulie will be leaving Stade Francais at the end of the season.” O’Gara wrote in his Irish Examiner column.

“That one’s been coming, though. Stade are a bit free-range in how they do things and I’m not sure Paulie’s values were shared at the club. But it’s a valuable learning experience.”

But what next for O’Connell? O’Gara says he still dreams of a coaching ticket with the two of them on it at some stage down the line, and hopes O’Connell will go back on his word that he won’t be involved with a club next season.

O’Gara says the former British and Irish Lions captain “needs to be out there” and hopes he will continue his journey as a coach.

“We’d often daydream about the two of us on a coaching ticket somewhere down the road and he’ll be better for this experience.” O’Gara continued.

“I also hope he doubles back on that statement about not being involved in a set-up anywhere next season. He needs to be out there, having his thought-process disrupted. He needs to be stripped bare. He has brilliant ideas, but not everyone thinks the same as he does.”

“The world doesn’t work like that, as I’ve found out. It’s not about you: it’s about everyone else.”

“When I look at the callow coach who started in Racing six years ago, and what I was stepping into, it’s so far removed from how I was, and what I walked into here at the Crusaders, that it was not even comparable.”