Despite confirmation that Seán O’Brien is joining London Irish after the World Cup, the 31-year-old is to avoid the fate suffered by Simon Zebo, who was immediately discarded by Ireland coach Joe Schmidt when news of his move to Racing 92 broke last season.
It is unclear whether O’Brien’s current national contract was going to be renewed in November.
However, like Paul O’Connell signing for Toulon before the 2015 tournament, O’Brien is seen as too important to be cut loose by Ireland, even though he leaves Leinster for a reported €400,000 a year deal with the English club, now coached by Declan Kidney and Les Kiss.
“That’s Seánie’s business and it’d be wrong of me to comment on someone’s personal situation,” said Ireland captain Rory Best. “From a player’s perspective, you know and you trust them to weigh up the situation and do what’s best for them and their families.”
O’Brien is expected to start against Scotland on Saturday afternoon, despite missing the Captain’s Run at Murrayfield on Friday afternoon for what the Ireland management described as being “managed.”
“There is no issue,” added a spokesman.
Meanwhile, the IRFU confirmed that Devin Toner underwent ankle surgery and will be out for two months, which rules him out of the rest of the Six Nations and Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Ulster on March 30th.
“Look, it’s massive,” said Best. “Dev’s been a big part of what we’ve created here in the last while. He’s a great player. I would say over the last 18 months, two years he’s probably played some of the best rugby of his career.
“So, to lose a player like that and the intellectual property he brings around the lineout, as well as the calmness he has, it’s just great to have around the team environment.
“He’ll be a loss, as any great player is, but when these things happen it gives an opportunity to somebody else.
“Quinn Roux was great when he came on \[against England\], he showed a lot of physicality. He’s been playing very well for Connacht. This is a massive opportunity for him and for James Ryan to step up and lead in that secondrow.
“I suppose it’s better happening now and we’ll see just exactly how much depth we’ll have. We saw at the last World Cup what a couple of injuries can do.”
