Bordeaux v Leinster: ‘No surprise’ Noel McNamara has thrived with French club – Garry Ringrose

Leinster centre Garry Ringrose feels it is “no surprise” former academy head Noel McNamara has enjoyed success at Bordeaux-Begles.

The County Clare native took up the role of attack coach with the Top 14 outfit in 2023, helping deliver last year’s Investec Champions Cup and two runner-up finishes in domestic competition.

McNamara coached Ireland’s Under-20s between 2018 and 2020, delivering a Six Nations title in 2019, before moving to Leinster and then on to South African club Sharks in 2021.

Although Ringrose did not directly play under McNamara – who has extended his stay in France until 2029 – the 31-year-old Ireland international believes his past involvement at Leinster is still felt to this day as they prepare to take on the defending champions in Saturday’s Champions Cup final in Bilbao (14:45 BST).

“He definitely had a really big impact on the players he dealt with here at Leinster and it comes as no surprise he’s having success with Bordeaux and getting the most out of the whole team, but certainly the backs,” Ringrose said.

“He is an exceptional coach and away from not being a really good person, so I think the players play for him on two fronts, for him being a good guy and then also an exceptional coach.

“He was in charge of some of the Leinster and Ireland, age grade stuff that I just missed out on, but I got to work or rub shoulders with him more closely then once I came in the building here in UCD.

“Then also from being close with the guys that were specifically under him and coached by him, understanding what made him tick and the value he was provided to them.”

Ringrose has been a regular for club and country over the past decade and while Leinster’s high number of representatives in Andy Farrell’s squad may suggest both sides have a degree of symmetry, the 2025 British and Irish Lion insists it’s not quite the case.

“In terms of identity, it can be similar personnel, but there’s also lots of differences as well,” he countered.

“There’s things that the coaches demand of us and ask of us in here that differ slightly in Ireland and vice versa. So as a player, we’re only ever trying to just deliver and do our job as best we can.”