DONAL LENIHAN: French contract doesn’t include Irish match fees

It was inevitable this day would arrive; the only question being who would be the one brave enough to see it through to its conclusion.

In the recent past, the tactic of those nearing the end of their national contract in travelling overseas to bolster their negotiating position with the IRFU was commonplace. Brian O’Driscoll and Ronan O’Gara are just two who won a more attractive offer from their paymasters using the ‘ploy’.

The ground rules have changed, however, and with the economic downturn, the pockets of the IRFU are not as deep as they once were. This has manifested itself in the fact that the number of international contracts — as opposed to provincial contracts — have shrunk from a high point of around 35 two seasons ago to a current level of about 22.