Paul O’Connell has confirmed that Ireland’s last game in the World Cup will be his final appearance for the national team ahead of joining three-time European champions Toulon on what is likely to be in effect an 18-month contract.
The Irish captain was speaking at the World Cup jersey launch in Galway and elaborated on his decision to joining the French club.
"I'd say for two years I have been fairly sure that I was going to retire after the World Cup. There were times when I felt I might go again and play for Ireland a little bit further, or Munster a little bit further, but by and large it has been a done deal in my head that I would be retiring after the World Cup from both Munster and Ireland."
The catalyst for his change of heart was a phone call from the former England and Lions and current Toulon and Wales strength and conditioning coach Paul Stridgeon, whom O'Connell had got to know well on a couple of tours.
“There was a thing in a paper in France that Pau were interested in me. I never spoke to Pau or heard anything from them but that sparked a bit of interest from some clubs in France and I got some contact from Paul Stridgeon the S&C coach in Toulon, who was on the Lions and who I would be quite friendly with.
“He asked me would I be interested. I said I hadn’t really thought about it. I said, ‘give me a bit of time and I’ll get back to you’. I actually got back to him after Christmas and said, ‘look it is not for me. I am going to fully retire after the World Cup’. I was very happy with that decision.
“Once I told him (Stridgeon) that there was a small bit of regret that snuck in. About a month or five weeks later I got another text message that they (Toulon) were about to move on another player and asked again would I be interested (in moving to France) and to let them know.
“I chatted with Emily (his wife) a little bit about it. The body at the time was feeling really good. I just said to them, ‘look I would be interested but I can’t talk to a club while I am playing for Munster unfortunately, but if you are willing to wait until the summer I’ll certainly talk to you and look at doing something’. That was basically it. I went down about two weeks after the Pro12 final and agreed to join them.”
Ireland were in action at the Sportsground this morning in an open training session and Simon Zebo took a bang on the knee that required icing.
