Tyler Bleyendaal hoping for rub of the green

If Tyler Bleyendaal needed any extra motivation to hit the ground running in the upcoming Guinness PRO14 campaign, an invitation to Ireland’s pre-season training camp last week did just nicely.

Yet the New Zealand-born fly-half, whose necessary three years’ Irish residency is complete at the end of January, is acutely aware that he will only earn a Test debut in green if he kicks on this season in Munster red.

The prospect of international rugby as early as next February, for the 2018 Six Nations, is enticing the former New Zealand U20 captain, but with only one full season under his belt for Munster after his first two years were disrupted by injuries, the 27-year-old knows he still has much to prove. And an early taste of life under Ireland boss Joe Schmidt underlined that point perfectly.