POC to sign for Toulon

Buer

jm08 wrote:

Just think of it this way - how do you think Brian O'Driscoll would feel if he moved to Toulon and then had to come back to the away dressing room in the RDS and play against his old partner Gordon D'Arcy?

I think he would have absolutely relished it as any top pro would.

jm08

Buer wrote: »

I think he would have absolutely relished it as any top pro would.

BOD is the one who said winning the Heineken Cup meant so much more to him because it was with his good friends (Shane Horgan, D'Arcy) who he had been playing with for years. He said he was glad that he hadn't gone to Biarritz at the time because of this. He regretted that Denis Hickie wasn't involved.

POC has said that he won't be going anywhere just to win medals (which would have been a different situation to BOD who saw the end of his career approaching and had won very little).

.ak

jm08 wrote: »

BOD is the one who said winning the Heineken Cup meant so much more to him because it was with his good friends (Shane Horgan, D'Arcy) who he had been playing with for years. He said he was glad that he hadn't gone to Biarritz at the time because of this. He regretted that Denis Hickie wasn't involved.

POC has said that he won't be going anywhere just to win medals (which would have been a different situation to BOD who saw the end of his career approaching and had won very little).

Being an avid club/province man doesn't equal to being a poor pro.

.ak

Look at Shane Jennings as an excellent example of a pro playing agianst his old team mates last week.

aimee1

.ak wrote: »

Look at Shane Jennings as an excellent example of a pro playing agianst his old team mates last week.

He obviously had a gripe with madigan too.

aimee1

jm08 wrote: »

BOD is the one who said winning the Heineken Cup meant so much more to him because it was with his good friends (Shane Horgan, D'Arcy) who he had been playing with for years. He said he was glad that he hadn't gone to Biarritz at the time because of this. He regretted that Denis Hickie wasn't involved.

POC has said that he won't be going anywhere just to win medals (which would have been a different situation to BOD who saw the end of his career approaching and had won very little).

Just because BOD said that doesnt mean POC doesnt want to experience a different culture before he retires. You have to take POC to toulon in isolation and stop trying to reference it to others and what they have said.

POC has always struck me as a no bullsh1t type of guy who demanded the best at all times. If he goes (and it isnt a loan) then he commits to his new club for the duration. If he is unable to play against munster then it doesnt say much for his level of commitment to his new club

Tox56

.ak wrote: »

Look at Shane Jennings as an excellent example of a pro playing agianst his old team mates last week.

You could effectively say his best performance of the season was playing against Leinster

jm08

Tox56 wrote: »

You could effectively say his best performance of the season was playing against Leinster

He wasn't playing against Leinster though, was he?

edit: and anyway, Jennings situation is different. He already played for another club - unlike POC who has played for the same club his whole career.

Teferi

I may have missed it so can I just ask: Has the signing been confirmed yet or is everyone just arguing for 14 pages+ for the absolute craic?

jm08

aimee1 wrote: »

Just because BOD said that doesnt mean POC doesnt want to experience a different culture before he retires. You have to take POC to toulon in isolation and stop trying to reference it to others and what they have said.

POC has always struck me as a no bullsh1t type of guy who demanded the best at all times. If he goes (and it isnt a loan) then he commits to his new club for the duration. If he is unable to play against munster then it doesnt say much for his level of commitment to his new club

The fact that there was never even a whisper of him looking elsewhere suggests that he must have been fairly attached to staying with Munster (and Heislip and Ferris were the best paid players in Ireland in recent times) ... though you will probable now suggest that no one was interested in recruting him up to now:)

ionadnapokot

The Toulon move is great news for Irelands World Cup chances. PO'C will throw himself into learning French in the off-season. Come the WC he will be fluent (adding to his fluency in Afrikaans), stealing French ball at will. Ligind

thomond2006

Teferi wrote: »

I may have missed it so can I just ask: Has the signing been confirmed yet or is everyone just arguing for 14 pages+ for the absolute craic?

The craic.

Sorry for starting this. The next time I bring up an inane topic, just ban me.

PTH2009

ionadnapokot wrote: »

The Toulon move is great news for Irelands World Cup chances. PO'C will throw himself into learning French in the off-season. Come the WC he will be fluent (adding to his fluency in Afrikaans), stealing French ball at will. Ligind

Toulon has many English speaking players so I'd imagine they don't speak much French

ionadnapokot

PTH2009 wrote: »

Toulon has many English speaking players so I'd imagine they don't speak much French

PO'C will show them up. I imagine he will have a slight Auverne twang to his vast breadth of vocabulary.

Cookiemunster

His departure after the world cup has been confirmed.
http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/20711.php#.VW28ik_BzGc

Wang King

Cookiemunster wrote: »

His departure after the world cup has been confirmed.
http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/20711.php#.VW28ik_BzGc

No mention of any clause, so I presume that means he's free to get mangled by Stander when he comes back to Thomond

Cookiemunster

Wang King wrote: »

No mention of any clause, so I presume that means he's free to get mangled by Stander when he comes back to Thomond

No mention of what he's doing after the world cup at all. It's looks quite simply that the IRFU agreed to terminate his contract without any conditions.

Neil3030

Contract details were leaked on Twitter:

Smallprint of POC's contract wrote:

The player is free to play in all competitions, including fixtures against all IRFU sanctioned provincial teams. However before any match against Munster, he must say ten Hail Mary's, donate nine pints of blood to a Limerick doner clinic and kiss Brendan Foley's ring

partyguinness

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro12/munster-confirm-paul-o-connell-will-be-released-from-contract-1.2234624

lazybones32

I wish they'd hurry up and get this over with...

I can't see us winning the RWC, so it means his rugby with Munster and Ireland will have ended with a defeat. Would like to see him leave the stage after a win, but such is competitive sport.

Cookiemunster

lazybones32 wrote: »

I wish they'd hurry up and get this over with...

I can't see us winning the RWC, so it means his rugby with Munster and Ireland will have ended with a defeat. Would like to see him leave the stage after a win, but such is competitive sport.

We could win the 3rd/4th place playoff!

Cookiemunster

Cookiemunster wrote: »

We could win the 3rd/4th place playoff!

Or go out in the Pool stages but win our last game?

lazybones32

Cookiemunster wrote: »

We could win the 3rd/4th place playoff!

Didn't think of that....

Swiwi.

This IS the most ridiculous thread. Some Munster fans who have no problem signing the likes of Saili are having real problems getting their head around POC moving elsewhere. If you are happy to receive you will also sometimes end up giving. Best get used to it too, it's not going away.

Riskymove

Swiwi. wrote: »

Some Munster fans ......

:rolleyes:

Perhaps you've read a different thread by mistake.

apart from this silly discussion about the "clause", all I see are comments that they'll be sad to see him go but best of luck to him.

connemara man

thomond2006

Swiwi. wrote: »

This IS the most ridiculous thread. Some Munster fans who have no problem signing the likes of Saili are having real problems getting their head around POC moving elsewhere. If you are happy to receive you will also sometimes end up giving. Best get used to it too, it's not going away.

I don't think anyone is complaining about POC leaving. There is virtually unanimous understanding of why he is leaving. It just became a roundabout debate about a speculated clause of the departure.

I'd expect Toulon to confirm the move this week.

John_Rambo

thomond2006 wrote: »

I don't think anyone is complaining about POC leaving. There is virtually unanimous understanding of why he is leaving. It just became a roundabout debate about a speculated clause of the departure.

Well, you came up with this clause! Do you remember where you read about it?

its_phil

John_Rambo wrote: »

Well, you came up with this clause! Do you remember where you read about it?

It was in the Independent. Cian Tracey IIRC?

Cookiemunster

its_phil wrote: »

It was in the Independent. Cian Tracey IIRC?

Correct.

lazybones32

Swiwi. wrote: »

This IS the most ridiculous thread. Some Munster fans who have no problem signing the likes of Saili are having real problems getting their head around POC moving elsewhere. If you are happy to receive you will also sometimes end up giving. Best get used to it too, it's not going away.

So everyone in rugby circles in NZ was cool about Dan Carter moving to Perpignan in 08/09?

Cookiemunster

lazybones32 wrote: »

So everyone in rugby circles in NZ was cool about Dan Carter moving to Perpignan in 08/09?

Carter moving to USAP on a 6 month sabbatical was a completely different situation. Carter moving to Racing next season however is prety much the same as what POC is expected to do.

Fireball07

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Carter moving to USAP on a 6 month sabbatical was a completely different situation. Carter moving to Racing next season however is prety much the same as what POC is expected to do.

I wish Paulie was staying but to be honest, I expected him to retire after the World Cup. Munster could still use him, that's for sure, but he deserves a big payday in France if anyone does; the chances of Munster playing Toulon aren't that large really... maybe in a European final?

kub

Talk now of Toulon having reservations about POC's shoulder, they will monitor him throughout the WC and use POC as a medical joker.

Now they are obviously using it as an excuse, now in my book Toulon have replaced Sarries at the end of my favourites list.

CatFromHue

Hard to know as publicly Toulon have always been against signing POC, though they were abit "too" against it for it to be 100% true.

Podge_irl

kub wrote: »

Talk now of Toulon having reservations about POC's shoulder, they will monitor him throughout the WC and use POC as a medical joker.

Now they are obviously using it as an excuse, now in my book Toulon have replaced Sarries at the end of my favourites list.

I would think its significantly more likely that he actually did fail a medical than Toulon are looking for an excuse not to sign him.

its_phil

kub wrote: »

Talk now of Toulon having reservations about POC's shoulder, they will monitor him throughout the WC and use POC as a medical joker.

Now they are obviously using it as an excuse, now in my book Toulon have replaced Sarries at the end of my favourites list.

He's signed according to reports this evening

kub

its_phil wrote: »

He's signed according to reports this evening

I got it from Drivetime on Radio 1, they were speaking with some French journalist. What has George Hook got to say about it :rolleyes:?

Now RTE are saying something else

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2015/0615/708213-report-casts-doubt-on-oconnells-toulon-move/

Teferi

POC signed to Toulon done deal.

Buer

Teferi wrote: »

POC signed to Toulon done deal.

I'm shocked.

vienne86

It seems to be a done deal now. Sorry to see him leave, but wish him the best - hope he and the family have a brilliant two years.