O'Driscoll Confirms Rugby Retirement

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Brian O’Driscoll has confirmed that this season will be his last in professional rugby.

Ireland's record tryscorer was convinced to stay on at Leinster and Ireland by new Ireland boss Joe Schmidt and the RDS crowd but confirmed to Pat Kenny on Newstalk that this year would be his last hurrah.

“This is the ‘one more year’, I had to think long and hard(about playing this season) and there were a number of factors. I had to talk to Amy and listen to my body, I had to learn if I was still wanted in the Leinster setup and the Irish setup,” he said.

“It would be rude of me not to mention the chants from the stands in the RDS of ‘one more year’, the fact that you’re still wanted by the faithful does mean an awful lot too.

“I remember I had a neck operation after the World Cup in 2011 and there was talk at the time that I might not get back playing from it and it started to hit home.

“I’ve been a professional rugby player all my life, I don’t really know anything different. I don’t really know the big bad world that regular people see and I have been in the process, over the last couple of years, of getting involved in things I’m interested in but nothing will replace the feeling of running out on the pitch but something that makes you get up in the morning and have purpose.”

The 34-year-old has been married to actress Amy Huberman and had his first child Sadie, who became a celebrity in her own right during the Lions tour, over the past year and says he’s delighted with the overhaul his life has experienced.

“I can’t really remember what my old life was like but it’s absolutely brilliant,” he added.

“I don’t know how many times over the last six months she might have you up during the night but that smile in the morning when you come in makes it all go away.”

BOD also revealed that he is prepared to go globetrotting if it means helping his wife Amy achieve further success in her acting and literary careers.

“I’m absolutely open to her career bringing us to whatever part of the globe it might do although I know she is enjoying a bit of time off with the arrival of Sadie,” he added.

“She’s probably hungry to get out and do some more work, she is going to the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday leaving me at home so needless to say I’ll be over with the folks Sunday night, Monday night....

“I’m open to her feeling the need to capitalise on some of the great work she has done in recent years.”

O’Driscoll is still disappointed by his omission from the third test but is looking forward to the coming season with Leinster and one last chance to end the All-Blacks hoodoo, even though he expects to be playing less.

“I met up with the Irish fitness coach recently and he came up with a great phase of ‘managing expectations’, when I go in and the fitness coaches know I’m not feeling great, I’m taking it easy and and I’m doing it for a reason,” he said.

“You want to win everything you are in. It would be lovely to win a Championship and a Six Nations and the Heineken Cup. I’m lucky to have won some things in the latter part of my career and most recently a Lions series so it’s nice to tick some boxes.

“A big one this year to get myself in shape for and get in the process of being selected is the All-Blacks in November. That’s one that’s failed on multiple occasions and this is the last chance to get a go at them so that would be a lovely one if I was to pick one out for the year.”

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Leinster Struggle Against Chiefs

Defending champions Leinster struggled past debutants Exeter in a scrappy 9-6 victory in their European Cup opener on Saturday.

Leinster, the champions in 2009, 2011 and 2012, were forced to grind their way to victory with Irish international fly-half Jonathan Sexton kicking three penalties.

Sexton put Leinster ahead in the 11th minute after former Ulster centre Ian Whitten was penalised for playing an opponent in the air.

But the expected avalanche of points never materialised and Exeter were level on the stroke of half-time when  succeeded with a penalty after two earlier misses.

Sexton put the champions back in front after 53 minutes but Steenson again pulled Exeter level 12 minutes later when Leinster were penalised for slowing the ball down at a ruck inside their own 22.

Exeter replacement prop Ben Moon was then punished for straying offside in the 74th minute and Sexton gobbled up the opportunity with the decisive penalty in front of the posts.

Exeter had a chance to level in the last-minute but Ignacio Mieres went well wide with an optimistic 48-metre penalty attempt.

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Jonny 99 Secures Leinster Win

Jonny Sexton kicked all Leinster's points as the Heineken Cup holders held off a spirited Bath challenge to extend their lead at the top of Pool Three.

The English side enjoyed the better of the first half with Olly Barkley kicking them into a 6-0 lead.

Leinster wasted some golden openings but built a six-point lead through four Sexton penalties.

Bath countered with a brilliant Matt Banahan try to go one point ahead but two Sexton penalties settled the match.

The defeat, coupled with Glasgow's victory over Montpellier, leaves Bath staring at an early exit from the competition.

The English side travel to Dublin next Saturday needing to turn the tables on Leinster to stand a realistic chance of securing a quarter-final place.

RaboDirect Pro12 leaders Leinster almost took the lead at the Rec with a wonder-try in the first five minutes when Luke Fitzgerald led a lightning counter-attack which broke down just yards from the line.

Bath soon assumed control of the game and, after going ahead through a Barkley penalty, they spent much of the half camped in the Leinster 22.

But the constant pressure did not lead to tries as the Irish side's defence held strong.

Barkley doubled the lead with a second penalty before Sexton reduced the deficit to 6-3 at half-time.

Leinster came out flying after the break, only for flanker Sean O'Brien to waste a golden opportunity, ignoring a three-man overlap after wing Isa Nacewa's pace and awareness had set up the chance.

The Irish team continued to heap pressure on the Bath defence, yielding three penalties from which Sexton kicked his team into a six-point lead.

Bath, though, had other ideas, and they hit back 15 minutes from time with a stunning try.

Francois Louw initiated the move with a turnover and the ball was swept out to Jack Cuthbert on the right wing. His offload back infield set up Banahan to power over the line.

Barkley added the extras to give Bath a one-point lead going into the last 10 minutes.

Louw then went from hero to villain as he gave away the penalty from which Leinster took the lead before receiving a yellow card for infringing with five minutes on the clock.

Sexton's sixth successful penalty out of seven kept the champions on course to reach their third final in four seasons.

Bath rugby director Sir Ian McGeechan said: "I am very proud of the players - their attitude was superb. We defended tremendously well, restricting them to penalties, and it is about the small margins.

"We made one or two errors. They got the ball into the right areas quickly and put pressure on.

"We probably didn't have quite that same amount of extended pressure, but we scored a very well-executed try, and that showed the attitude was really positive.

"The work-rate when we didn't have the ball was superb, and our attacking play was very encouraging. We just need to have a bit of composure at key times, but it is a relatively new team with new combinations, and that is what you grow towards.

"I think it took Leinster probably three or four years to get to that point. You don't get there overnight."

Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt: "The frustration was that we couldn't get the ball over their line. We appeared to have a couple of gilt-edged chances.

"We want to be a lot more accurate to make sure we finish opportunities that we create, but I am delighted with the result.

"Against a quality team it's hard to create opportunities, and the last thing you want to do is butcher them like we did today. We almost suffocated ourselves at times."TEAMS:

Bath: Abendanon, Cuthbert, Hipkiss, Barkley, Banahan, Donald, Claassens, Flatman, Biller, Wilson, Attwood, Caldwell, Louw, Mercer, Taylor.

Replacements: Vesty for Hipkiss (63), Cook for Claassens (67), Catt for Flatman (75), Spencer for Wilson (75). Not Used: Beech, Perenise, Beattie, Heathcote.

Leinster: R. Kearney, Nacewa, McFadden, D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, J. Sexton, Boss, van der Merwe, Strauss, Ross, Cullen, Browne, McLaughlin, O'Brien, Heaslip.

Replacements: O'Malley for D'Arcy (70), Reddan for Boss (67),Healy for van der Merwe (40), Cronin for Strauss (67), White for Ross (67), Jennings for Browne (52), Toner for McLaughlin (52).

Not Used: Madigan.

Att: 12,200