The brains trust trawling for Irish-qualified talent

Bundee Aki’s debut for Ireland this evening may be controversial but it will soon be a moot point.

New Zealand-born to Samoan parents, the about-to-be Irish international is one of the last of a dying breed. The days of the project player, recruited from overseas with the purpose of qualifying for an adopted country after three years of residency, are numbered.

No more Akis, Jared Paynes, or CJ Standers will be drip-fed into the national squad having served their time in provinces far from their birthplace and heritage. From 2021, World Rugby will extend that qualification period from 36 months to five years and call time on a practice that has long divided opinion.