RUGBY ITALY V IRELAND:THE AVARICIOUS French clubs and their wealthy benefactors have been staved off, for the time being at any rate. Yesterday's confirmation that Brian O'Driscoll, Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Heaslip have signed new contracts with the IRFU was a timely triple boost for Leinster and Ireland.

Heaslip has signed up for three years, until June 2014, while the other pair are settled until June 2013.

Coming on the eve of the Six Nations, Declan Kidney will be particularly relieved the trio’s futures have been resolved, but one ventures Joe Schmidt’s relief will be even more acute. The Leinster coach had been sounding out the possibility of signing prospective replacements had any of the trio departed, such as Wallabies outhalf cum centre Berrick Barnes.

While O’Driscoll was always likely to stay, the longer negotiations dragged on between the union and Fintan Drury, agent to both Sexton and Heaslip, the more it was feared one or the other, especially Heaslip, might leave.

In the end, the negotiations culminated in both staying put, despite a reported €1.1 million, two-year deal from Stade Francais for Sexton, though Michael Cheika, the ex-Leinster and now Stade coach, said last night: “There is absolutely no way we could be paying that kind of money to any player.”

Racing Metro 92 were one of a number of clubs, not all French, which had expressed an interest in Heaslip, with Racing believed to have offered even bigger sums.

The reasons why the trio have decided to stay are probably fourfold, to varying degrees. First, the IRFU must have come up with a financial package that came closer to matching their current valuation. This is especially so on the French market where wealthy private benefactors, such as Racing president Jacky Lorenzetti, who heads giant real estate company Foncia, and Toulon benefactor Mourad Boudjellal, who made his fortune in the comic strip business, can operate without the restrictive salary cap that exists in England.

Given the money on offer, it is likely Heaslip has signed an improved deal in the ballpark of €400,000-€500,000 per year with incentives (such as his number of Test appearances per season), with Sexton perhaps in the region of €350,000-€400,000 including incentives.

O’Driscoll, who turned 32 a fortnight ago, most likely accepted a reduction in his basic package to remain with Leinster until the end of the 2012-13 season, by which stage he will be 34.

Heaslip’s decision to stay also raises his status as the heir apparent to O’Driscoll as Irish captain.

Second, off-setting the bigger salary in France, the commercial opportunities for Irish players are greater when they play in Ireland.

Third, though in no particular order, there is the so-called Charlie McCreevy tax break, whereby a home-based player can reclaim 40 per cent of the tax he has paid over the course of a maximum 10 years in Ireland (equitable to 17 per cent of his gross pay) on the proviso that he ends his career in Ireland.

Thus, were a player to retire in Ireland having earned, say, a notional €100,000 per year, he would be entitled to a rebate of around €170,000. For O’Driscoll especially, and indeed pretty much all the thirtysomethings bearing in mind how Paul O’Connell, Ronan O’Gara and Donncha O’Callaghan have all recently signed deals, this would have been a paramount concern.

Given their age profile, Sexton (25) and Heaslip (27), might more reasonably have deduced they could have gambled on playing in France for a couple of years and then returned to finish their careers in Ireland.

However, the fourth point, while allowing for their desire to remain at home at the start of a World Cup season, the decision of the three is a tacit endorsement of Leinster’s first season under Schmidt. They clearly believe they can be part of something special over the next few years.

In an IRFU statement yesterday heralding the good news, Schmidt said: “Being of genuine Leinster stock it’s great to have three such pivotal players join with a number of other players who have recently extended their contracts, reaffirming that loyalty amongst Irish players can still outweigh lucrative overseas offers.”

Negotiations between the IRFU and Drury, had dated back to September, and Drury commented last night: “Sometimes negotiations are relatively straightforward, and sometimes they are considerably longer.

“In the case of these two players they had been sought after by clubs outside of Ireland. It was our responsibility to examine all of the options, inside-out and upside down, and to make sure that the players took a holistic view of the options that were in front of them.

“The longer this process went on the more time we spent considering the options,” he added, “and my advice would have been consistent with the decision that the players have taken.

“This was not the best decision financially, but it was the best decision. If it had been solely a matter of money they would have signed for a club outside Ireland, and would have signed months ago.”

No progress in Kearney talks

IRELAND AND Lions fullback Rob Kearney is not yet close to coming to an agreement with the union on his long-term future, writes JOHNNY WATTERSON.

Kearney’s contract expires in June, but despite negotiations which began last October, there has been no progress in reaching an agreement that would keep the 24-year-old playing with Leinster.

Kearney has had numerous offers from abroad, particularly France, but as yet has not pursued any of them.