The 31-year-old has been a one-club man since making his debut for Leinster in 1999 but did flirt with a move to a Biarritz following Michael Cheika’s arrival four years ago.

O’Driscoll’s current contract expires after the World Cup in New Zealand next year and he admitted then could potentially be the time for him to leave his homeland.

“I don’t rule anything out and perhaps if the situation arose and if I wanted to taste something different for a year I would certainly be open to the idea of it,” said O’Driscoll.

“In the past, rightly so, I was given a bit of stick for courting clubs. When Michael came in and I went down to Biarritz nobody really knew about that at the time.

“I was a bit dismayed about Leinster going through three coaches in three years and I wondered where the club was going.

“But Michael gave us that stability and he was essentially the reason I stayed but that doesn’t mean you have to stay at one club for your whole career.”