Leo Cullen: Internationals 'keen to get back' after RWC

There's been a drip-feed of internationals coming back into the Irish provinces over the last three weeks of the BKT United Rugby Championship.

Tom O'Toole was the first to come back, rushed into the Ulster side during their tighthead shortage ahead of Round 2 against the Bulls, while Craig Casey and Jack Crowley were back for Munster a week later.

Last week, Ulster brought back the rest of their international contingent, Munster put Jeremy Loughman into action, while Dan Sheehan led a handful of retuning internationals as Leinster picked up a routine win away to the Dragons.

But with the Champions Cup on the horizon in early December, the doors have been flung open for Ireland's World Cup frontliners to get back out there.

After losing three of their first four games, the Scarlets already faced a daunting trip to the RDS against Leinster this evening, but any hope of catching the province in a spot of complacency would be dismissed with a look at the hosts' teamsheet.

With Interpros against Munster and Connacht to come for Leinster ahead of their Champions Cup fixtures, Leo Cullen has gone strong for his side's clash with the Scarlets, bringing eight of his Irish internationals back into the starting side, while a ninth - Tadhg Furlong - will be available off the bench.

One of those is Andrew Porter (below), who earlier this week gave an honest and interesting account of how tough he took Ireland's World Cup exit at the hands of New Zealand five weeks ago.

"I have had to deal with sleepless nights, things playing over in your head, that kind of thing," he told Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode on The Rugby Pod.

"It's just part of the game we play. We were so close so that is why it was a bit more gut-wrenching.

"I was really