When Simon Zebo's upcoming departure from Munster was announced, it was clear that current policy meant his Ireland career was on hold for the foreseeable future while he plays in France.
In the opposite sense, Scarlets second row Tadhg Beirne will be returning home to Ireland when he leaves his Welsh province for Munster at the end of the season.
But given that he still based outside of Ireland at present, could that hamper any chances of him being picked by Joe Schmidt for the upcoming Six Nations campaign?
Full Monday Night Rugby on the podcast player and on iTunes:
Ireland and Leinster legend Brian O'Driscoll joined Joe to review the weekend's European Rugby Champions Cup action and more and he feels there is no reason not to pick the in-form Beirne this Spring.
Scarlets' Tadhg Beirne in action against Cardiff Blues in October 2016 ©INPHO/Kevin Barnes
"I don't see why Joe Schmidt wouldn't put him in now. Is he thinking that he is happy with his second row combinations? Maybe but you'd have to imagine that on current form that he definitely would be in that mix for a spot in the 23," said Brian of Beirne.
"All of the Welsh players that have played in the Scarlets absolutely loved him as a player, thought he was an exceptionally good guy, great team-mate so he added a huge amount to the Scarlets and continues to do so. You'd wonder, why wait until the summer just to make a point of not selecting players that are away from home."
He also pointed that in Beirne's case, his departure from Irish shores was down to a search for game-time and an opportunity to play rather than financial motives or otherwise.
He added that: "I think on current form, he is very worthy of a spot, possibly in the 23 right now."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
