[UPDATED] Sean O'Brien Could Sign For Toulon This Weekend

Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

The speculation regarding the movement of one of Leinster's star players to the Top 14 continues today as the Irish Times reports Sean O'Brien could sign for (Jonny Wilkinson's) Toulon this weekend.

Both O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip were linked with moves to the Top 14 last month and rumours about the two have continued to bubble up since.

The backrow has had plenty of injuries of late and playing in the Top 14 where the schedule is much tougher than the PRO12 is unlikely to alleviate that issue.

That said, a move to last season's Heineken Cup winners where his salary is likely to be a fair chunk larger than any he would receive from the IRFU could be tough to turn down.

There is also, of course, a chance that this could simply be agent bluster in an attempt to wring a better contract out of the IRFU.

O'Brien has the same agent as Jonny Sexton who moved to Racing Metro last year.

UPDATE

We can always that Fergus McFadden's theory is actually true.

Hopefully @SeanOBrien1987 is only going over to Toulon to look at some cattle #RelaxEveryone

— Fergus McFadden (@fergmcfadden) January 8, 2014