BRIAN O'DRISCOLL'S decision to relinquish the Leinster captaincy should not be interpreted as a desire to retreat into the bunkers entirely. Having already captained Ireland a record 48 times, the 29-year-old centre still harbours ambitions to continue leading his country but it had become abundantly obvious that the additional burden of captaining his province for the last three years was an unnecessarily heavy load.

Although he led Leinster to a Magners League triumph at the tail-end of last season, Ireland's all-time record try-scorer - who also captained the Lions in New Zealand in 2005 - has just come off an injury-disrupted, disheartening and, by his own inordinately high standards, relatively unexceptional year.

Indeed, he failed to score one try for Leinster in the entire 2007-2008 season, only ending a drought dating back to Ireland's forlorn World Cup exit to Argentina in October with Ireland's second try in the defeat to Australia in June. In the light of that, relinquishing at least one of his captaincies made sense.

It's not as if his leadership skills won't still be called upon but, at 29, O'Driscoll needs a little more room to refocus on his own game.

Nine summers since making his debut for country and province, O'Driscoll has a Lions tour next summer and a few more seasons with province and country to complete some unfulfilled ambitions, perhaps all the way through to the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Viewed in that light, Leo Cullen was the obvious candidate to succeed to the throne yesterday as Leinster's new captain.

Cullen (who, like O'Driscoll, has played 102 games for Leinster) has widespread experience of captaincy from a young age, virtually through every side he has played for up to and including the Leicester Tigers, whom he led 15 times in his 56 appearances there over two seasons.

Cullen captained Leinster seven times last season since returning from Leicester and had led the province 10 times in his previous five-year stint with the team. He has resumed full training since his end-of-season shoulder operation and should return in either the first or second week of the Magners League next month.

Confirming that O'Driscoll wanted to take a step back, coach Michael Cheika explained: "He's done three years. I know there's been some conjecture about whether he's going to (still) be captaining Ireland, but I would imagine he's going to be captain of Ireland. For him it will mean not having as much responsibility all the time and I don't see the point in him having all the responsibility here and then all the responsibility with Ireland as well.

"Now that we've been on a programme of building our leadership here there's far more alternatives in relation to leaders. Leo has been vice-captain of our team.

"From when I first came here and we were building our team, Brian stood up and was counted. He took on the responsibility of being captain, and signed a four-year deal; they're big steps to do for your team. We were able to build a team around that," added the Leinster coach.

"I think for him (O'Driscoll) it's an opportunity to concentrate on his game, number one, without worrying about the whole team too, and also I think he's going to be the national captain as well.

"He himself, and I agree with him, think it's an opportunity for him to focus on the quality he can produce in both of those arenas. I don't want to ask him to do too much."

Cheika confirmed this passing on of the baton had been in the making since last season, and had been partly instigated by O'Driscoll himself, while it's not as if his leadership skills won't be utilised.

"He would have identified it first, and he would have identified it last season, that there are a few more options in the squad now as leaders, and he'll be able to take a bit more control of the technical side of things as opposed to the team leadership, which is where we want him to go."

Cullen was the natural successor, and it won't do his hopes of regaining a place in the ultra-competitive Irish secondrow any harm.

"He captained Leinster a few times when Brian was injured last year. He's got a lot of respect among the players; he's got good delegation skills as well and he's obviously got aspirations higher up the chain himself, so it's a matter of managing him.

"But we think we've got a good arrangement in that he's got other leaders within the team that he can rely on, and we're really confident of him doing a good job in that role. In the overall situation, it's a win-win for everybody."

As a lock, whose ability to manage Leinster's lineouts was a primary factor in their marked improvement there last season and in Bernard Jackman's much improved darts, Cullen operates at the coalface and is a good motivational and tactical communicator on the pitch.

"I think it's a mix - and it is the same with Brian - it's a mix of words and actions," enthused Cheika.

"He's right there in the middle of it all too. But he knows that he's got a group of guys who are going to lead with him as well. We're comfortable with the way this has worked out. It's naturally evolved to this point," said Cheika.