Talking points: Rob Herring has plenty in the tank as he becomes Ulster's most capped player

MORE TO COME: Rob Herring becomes Ulster's most capped player with 230 appearances under his belt and plenty more to come. Pic:  ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

YOUNG GUNS LAY OUT THEIR STALL 

The World Cup is officially over, France is in the rear view mirror and the countdown to Australia 2027 has begun. Well, sort of. This was the second inter-pro of the season but the first to feature some of the returning Irish internationals. A lot more still to come back.

But with the Six Nations just around the corner and the need to move on and start plotting the future, these games give an insight into who may be coming into the picture and also a great chance for players to lay down a marker against a direct opponent.

Scrum-half was an obvious one in this contest. Craig Casey, now 24, has a step on Nathan Doak having played at a World Cup finals but it appears as if the Ulster No.9 has been around for years!

Hard to believe then that he is still only 21 — he’ll be 22 next month — and is closing in on 50 appearances for his native province.

He’s a kicking No.9 and that option off the tee will be a big addition when it comes to selecting international squads, while Casey took his try haul to 15 in 67 appearances, getting three so far in this campaign.

Yet, both scrum-halves aspiring to edge Jamison Gibson-Park and Conor Murray out of the way in the coming months and years will be kicking themselves for basic handling errors, knock-ons that could have proven costly and which are in the zero-tolerance zone when Test rugby is the name of the game.

OLD DOGS FOR THE HARD ROAD 

The quality of the player who plays regular Test rugby should be obvious when they take the field with their clubs. Look no further than what Iain Henderson and Rob Herring contributed to Ulster when introduced in the second-half when they were doing their best to lose the game by turning over chance after chance deep inside the Munster 22.

Herring set an Ulster record when he became their most capped player on his 230th appearance. His first involvement was a shambles, they got the lineout call wrong from five metres and he was correctly pinged for a double throw. Did it bother him? Not in the least. He was back in the thick of it from there, marshalling the scrum that produced the winning try.

And then at the death he was the one to pounce to get the penalty off Paddy Patterson in the final play and secure the win.

Moments earlier Henderson, who had given them go-forward down the middle which was absent until then, was on the ground with David McCann to prevent Jos Wycherley scoring what would inevitably be a converted try to level the match. Big moments, clutch moments, call them what you want. Class from two seasoned players who knows what it takes.

McCANN HAS X-FACTOR 

There are loads of young players coming through in the provinces to excite for the next generation — maybe Australia 2027? — but one guy who has been on a solid upward trajectory is Ulster back rowed David McCann. 

The former Irish U-20 just has a presence on the field that is consistent and full of impact and his display in Ravenhill in this one clearly marks him out as one who is surely poised to make the breakthrough in 2024 for Ireland. He is awesome.