Pic credit, INPHO > https://twitter.com/Inphosports
Munster lock Paul O’Connell is expected to complete a two-year deal to join Toulon following Saturday’s Guinness PRO12 final.
O’Connell has a dual Munster and Ireland contract that runs until summer 2016, but is thought to be able to free himself from the final stages of the deal.
The 35-year-old will line up for Munster for the final time in Saturday’s PRO12 final against Glasgow at Ulster’s Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.
Ireland’s oldest captain of all time will lead Joe Schmidt’s men in the autumn World Cup in England, and is now set to head to Toulon at the completion of the tournament.
O’Connell has led Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations titles in the last two years under former Leinster coach Schmidt, and he had been expected to retire after the World Cup, but is now expected to finish off his career in France.
Former Ireland skipper Keith Wood has backed O’Connell to make the lucrative move to the three-time European champions, that would end his 14-year stint with home province Munster.
“He’s a guy who loves the south of France, he got married in the south of France,” explained Wood.
“He enjoys the place, he enjoys the culture. I know he was envious of what Jonny (Wilkinson) 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.”