As we prepare to grimace our way through teary eyes as Paul O’Connell leads Munster out for the last time in Saturday’s PRO12 final, the legendary lock will be concentrating on bowing out in triumphant circumstances.
The Munster and Ireland skipper admitted after the province’s semi-final victory over the Ospreys that the final would likely be his last game for the side with whom he’s plied his trade for 14 years.
We’re still in the dark as to whether that means that O’Connell is set to call it a day on his provincial career or whether he fancies a year or two with Toulon.
And former Munster hooker Keith Wood believes that O’Connell was not oblivious to the impact that Jonny Wilkinson’s move from Newcastle Falcons to Toulon had on the English fly-half.
“He’s a guy who loves the south of France, he got married in the south of France,” Wood told Off The Ball. “He enjoys the place and he enjoys the culture.
“I know he was envious of what Jonny got out of it, not in terms of the finances. Of course the finances are always part of it, but it was almost like the fresh breath of energy he got back into it.
“The character of the likes of Paul O’Connell doesn’t come around it too often if we’re to be honest, he has an opportunity to continue doing the game he loves with a lot less pressure on him. I know it’s a big pressure nonetheless as it’s a huge team, but a different type of pressure.
“An ideal situation for him would be to end out every game for 30 minutes of every single game if he so wanted. Knowing Paul he’d want to play in 80 minutes in every game, but they don’t do that in France.
“That’s an intriguing idea.”
O’Connell’s final weeks for Munster comes in stark contrast to the like of Steven Gerrard’s departure from Liverpool which was surrounded in fanfare but Wood believes that the understated end of O’Connell’s Munster career speaks to the character of the man.
“I would say that the fact he didn’t talk up last week prior to the match in Thomond Park is entirely in keeping to the sort of guy he is,” Wood added.
“He’d be offended and disturbed by the fact that it would be all about him in Thomond Park. He’s always been that kind of guy.”
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