Kidney: French move won’t hinder O’Leary

Declan Kidney has promised Tomás O’Leary that a move to France will not preclude him from playing for Ireland again.

However he warned the scrum-half that a possible exit from Munster will remove him from the Irish management’s line of sight.

O’Leary, no longer first choice number nine in his native province, having fallen behind Conor Murray in the pecking order, is understood to be weighing up a move at the end of the season to French side Perpignan rather than accepting a new deal at Munster, with his agent suggesting a decision will be made this week. Kidney, who omitted the injury-hit Grand Slam winner from his 30-man World Cup squad last autumn was yesterday asked if O’Leary would put himself out of future selections should he opt for Perpignan.