Leinster logjam helped Jack Murphy make Ulster call

Jack Murphy says Leinster's out-half logjam helped sway his decision to move to Ulster.

The Ireland Under-20s out-half was part of the Leinster sub-academy and revealed he had the opportunity to move north last season, long before his father, Richie, took over as head coach with the province.

Leo Cullen’s senior side have the pick of three Ireland internationals in Ross Byrne, Harry Byrne and Ciarán Frawley, while uncapped Sam Prendergast has been included in the Ireland squad for their upcoming tour of South Africa.

Meanwhile, academy player Charlie Tector has made a handful of appearances off the bench.

The out-half picture at Ulster, meanwhile, is less clustered with Ireland-qualified Aidan Morgan joining from Hurricanes in place of Billy Burns, who is moving to Munster.

Jake Flannery is the only other specialist out-half, with Nathan Doak switching between 9 and 10.

"Last year I was offered to go up to Ulster to the academy but I just thought it was best if I had one more year in the sub-academy in Leinster and focus on my 20s," Murphy, who joins the Ulster academy, said.

"Then this year it came up again and it was an opportunity for me.

"At the minute there are a lot of top quality out-halves Leinster have and I kind of struggled to see where I was going to fit in, where I was going to play in the next few years.

"I just thought that there was a good opportunity in Ulster in the out-half position to try and push for the out-half [role] over the next few years.

"I kind of had the decision made in my head before Richie had ended up in Ulster; it was a pretty easy decision for me.

"I don’t really know [the pecking order] until I get up there. Billy is going to Munster. Aidan Morgan is coming in, he’s a good player, which is