IRFU and Joe Schmidt will press captain Paul O’Connell to stay on

Joe Schmidt and the IRFU will do what they can to “influence” Paul O’Connell’s next career move, as speculation linking the Ireland captain to a switch to France’s Top 14 refuses to die down despite confirmation that Toulon are not chasing the lock.

Pau and Grenoble, both clubs with strong Irish links in their coaching departments, have been mooted as other possible bidders for the services of the 35-year old, whose IRFU contract stretches through to the summer of 2016.

O’Connell, who has admitted to being unsure as to whether he will play on beyond the forthcoming Rugby World Cup later this year, was superb for Ireland as they recaptured the Six Nations title last month.