Ulster remain without a senior out-half, while Munster carry five play-makers into the new season.

THE DISPLACEMENT OF Joey Carbery, though a coup for Munster, leaves a host of loose ends remaining for Irish rugby.

The Athy man was happy in his native province, but the down side was all too obvious.

Out-half demands a level of continuity. So as long as Ireland exposed Carbery to Test experience, there was a clear and tangible incentive for Leinster to leave Ross Byrne consistently holding the tiller whenever Jonathan Sexton was not deployed.

Now the eastern province are the victim of their success in producing players and they are privately livid with this outcome. Rather than have Carbery at their disposal next season, a natural fit to take the torch on from the uber-versatile Isa Nacewa, their options must be reassessed.

Then there is the possibility of Ross Byrne — likely to win his first Test cap next month — becoming a regular in Joe Schmidt’s Ireland training camps next season. The pull of international rugby will bring Ciaran Frawley up the depth chart faster than many expected — and if he goes well then there could conceivably be a repeat of the saga before too long.

Up and coming: Carbery leaves behind a thriving Leinster setup. Source: Dan Sheridan

Ulster’s dwindling out-half stocks is what first ignited the Carbery issue, yet the northern province remain at square one.

Schmidt explains that he and David Nucifora initially met with Leinster to discuss the prospect of moving Carbery or Byrne to Ulster. Shortly after that, the IRFU reportedly blocked Ulster’s move to bring in Springbok 10 Elton Jantjies, so summer comes with the northern province still boasting Johnny McPhillips as their primary playmaker.

The former U20 star is a quality operator, but having just turned 21 his talent would ideally be nurtured rather than left in the deep end.

If a NIQ option remains out of the question for Ulster — and the best possible fit in Gareth Steenson just signed a two-year renewal with Exeter in January — then Munster’s abundance of 10s becomes very conspicuous indeed.


John Cooney has shown he can be an excellent foil for an out-half in Ulster. Source: Dan Sheridan

If Johann van Graan’s squad were to remain unaltered between now and August, Carbery’s arrival will swell the ranks to five out-halves. The province hope to have Tyler Bleyendaal fit again, Bill Johnston was recently rewarded with a two-year contract, Ian Keatley held the reins well and guided his team into two semi-finals and JJ Hanrahan has long been the great homegrown hope.

Some of those dominoes will have to fall to accommodate Carbery.

However, today’s pre-Australia tour was not the time to find answers to that conundrum. Schmidt set the tone immediately by saying Carbery’s move was “new news to me”. So although it may appear as though the Kiwi’s fingerprints are on everything in Irish rugby, he insists he has little influence.

“That’s a decision (Joey) has made. Apart from him catching up with me, which was nicely photographed, I’ve left him to it,” says Schmidt, referencing a widely circulated picture of him meeting Carbery in a Dublin coffee shop last month.

Believe it or not, I haven’t really had that many conversations with Joey. I haven’t spoken to him since he phoned me and wanted to meet.

“Since then, really my job is to coach the national team and try to make sure there is a depth chart in each position that is substantial enough so that we can survive injuries when they occur – as with Rory Best, not quite recovering for tour – we have to make sure we have the quality of player to cover those things.

“That was why I was initially talking to Joey to see if there was any interest. But since that time he’s come into camp and we’ve very quickly looked at what we need to do to be prepared for Australia.

“One of the good things is: this decision has been made and agreed and the process can be relatively smooth then that’s a weight off Joey’s shoulders at least.”

“The provinces, we try to keep them as autonomous as possible without losing sight of the national interest.

“For me, that’s my job. And for the provincial coach, it’s their job to make the most of their provincial group with an eye on the future for their individual players.”

And there’s plenty more work to be done on all fronts.