Ronan O’Gara hints that Paul O’Connell’s future still lies away from Ireland

We’re still not sure we can get our heads around the idea Paul O’Connell will never play professional rugby again.

The Munster legend announced earlier this week that the hamstring injury he suffered at the World Cup was a career-ending one and, sadly, he hung up his boots for good. The injury means that O’Connell’s move to Toulon, as agreed last autumn, will now not come to fruition. But one former team-mate of the Limerick giant feels that France could still be where the lock’s future lies. Ronan O’Gara is currently coaching at Racing 92 and he explained in his Irish Examiner column on Friday morning that O’Connell’s coaching future, at least in the short term, could still be at the Top 14 side.

“The disappointment Paul and his wife Emily may feel…will be short lived. Emily was set on going there and I think Paulie may still end up coaching in the south of France next year. “Toulon have a lot of persuading to do. But if they want a forwards coach, or a man who can offer so much on the training pitch or in the dressing room it’s Paul O’Connell.”

The Irish influence in French rugby has grown hugely over the last four years with Bernard Jackman in charge at Grenoble, while a number of players have also decided to take the plunge in the grueling French leagues. O’Gara feels that if O’Connell wants to take the first steps towards running his own rugby side, Toulon may present the ideal opportunity.

“He has run the Munster and Ireland line-out for 15 years. He has run 80% of the team meetings for 15 years. If he eventually goes down the forwards coach route he’ll have some research to do on lines of running, the breakdown etc. But forward play, and leading – that’s his bread and butter, and this guy is different gravy. The language isn’t an issue there, because everyone in Toulon speaks English.”