Players finding it difficult to resist the lure of France

So, if you were Seán O'Brien why wouldn't you take up an offer abroad and earn as much as €500,000 more in France than you would in Ireland over two seasons?

The blinding effect of big money is currently fashionable but what is there in the RDS, Thomond Park or Ravenhill to stop an exodus of top-end talent and why did Conor Murray sign with Munster until 2016 or Paul O'Connell express an interest in staying and playing in the 2015 World Cup?

Murray is here, at least until he’s 27 years old, while O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D’Arcy, Rory Best, Donnacha Ryan, Keith Earls and O’Brien are currently negotiating through their agents with the IRFU and maybe others.

The past two weeks have been a rumour mill, some spinning by interested parties seeking to pressurise a particular end of negotiations.

We also finally got some clarity on the Munster scrumhalf and his future. But France has loomed large and there is one inarguable reason why players should follow Johnny Sexton. Money.

Mohan Altrad in Montpellier has a €600 million fortune into which he can dip to pay the €700,000 a year a wealthy French club would each year for a top international player. That compares to a €400,000 salary the same player could expect in Ireland.

Test matches
For a 'regular' Irish international, who is playing Test matches, France would pay as much as €400,000 a season tops, while in Ireland the same person could expect €250-€300,000 a year.

What has also sharpened focus on France is that in the last budget a change was made to allow players finish their careers outside of Ireland without losing the unique tax rebate afforded to professional athletes. Prior to this year players were confined by having to see out their careers in Ireland.

Lock Mick O’Driscoll, who went to play in Perpignan, would not have been entitled to the tax break had he stayed and not returned to Munster.

As one agent put it: “Whatever the figure is here, in France for the very top-end players, it’s probably about 50 per cent more than what they’re getting.”

Players are paid a retainer but the wriggle room is bonuses. For a player like Murray the IRFU would look at his starts for Ireland, selection for the Lions Tour, his standing in Munster and injury history.

So €230,000 from the IRFU would be backed up by €60,000 on bonuses potentially bringing the deal closer to €300,000.

Position is also a factor. Martin Moore’s value has risen recently because he’s a tighthead prop. He will have challenging bonuses attached to his anticipated IRFU contract but he will also now earn a bigger basic retainer, although nowhere near Murray.

Success is another influence on decisions. Irish players such as Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy won little until 2009. The younger Heaslip and O'Brien have won three Heineken Cups and Rabo Leagues, while Heaslip also a Grand Slam and both a tour with the Lions. Boxes have been ticked.

Currently 24 years of age and with 22 caps, Murray can move if he wishes after his next Irish contract and so too the undecided O'Brien, who is 27 in February. After two lucrative years in France he could return a valuable commodity.

'Domestic competition'
"In Ireland players like O'Brien will play no more than 25 games a year, no more than say six Rabos," said an agent yesterday. "They are active in domestic competition maybe 25 per cent of the time. Injuries are looked after. That can't be ignored, isn't ignored."

In highly attritional positions where fit again O’Connell, O’Brien and Heaslip play, earning money in two years that may take four here is attractive but they will get broken up faster. This week IRFU CEO Philip Browne added to the conversation.

"Players are at the top of our priority list in terms of their welfare because we're a small nation," he said. "The difficulty is that when you follow the money, in fact you can move to fairly hard task-masters in France and England. "

Stephen Ferris was looking at Japan, where there is also good money and little rugby, just 12 teams. Springbok centre Jacque Fourie, reputedly the best paid player in the world, is on €870,000 with Kobe Steelers. Former Ulster player Ryan Constable, who now acts as an agent, was involved in that deal.

“My goal when I came here was to prolong my career and give myself another two or three seasons,” said Fourie in October.”We play 20 to 25 games a year here not 40. So it’s much easier to keep your body fresh as Fourie (du Preez) and George (Smith) proved. I aim to be in the best possible condition of my life come 2015.”

Japan is an option but lifestyle is important and players are wired differently. Parisians Sexton and Ronan O’Gara will stand up to a challenge, adapt. They also bring desire and tenacity, which the French deeply admire, fearless Munster one of the clubs they feel they can learn from.

Current players also talk to those who have just retired. Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Alan Quinlan, who didn’t have the opportunity of life-changing money deals, can be influential.

"They ring each other up and ask 'what would you do at my age'," said an agent pointing out that D'Arcy has perhaps one more contract in his career.The venerable centre is 34 years old in February and hopes to play in the 2015 World Cup.