Resting internationals afford young stars chance to shine

With the World Cup now well and truly behind us, the domestic leagues and upcoming European action will give rugby a fresh look over the coming months.

The start of a new season always brings opportunities for other players to get exposure to first-grade rugby. The season after a World Cup offers even bigger opportunities because there isn't another influence around player selection and with internationals being out of the loop for pre-season and their extended break, younger players get a chance to fill the role for a longer period of time. That’s why you’re likely to see more breakthroughs in the first year after a major tournament.

It’s understandable at various stages of that cycle for the internationals to get some priority when it comes to club selection because international coaches need consistency with their personnel. However, it’s all to play for across the URC and European games to throw a spanner in the works when it comes to international honours because some changes will be needed and there should be more openness to further changes too.

Players like Cathal Forde at Connacht and Jake Flannery in Ulster are bursting onto the scene and taking their opportunities with selection at their clubs, hoping to make these changes more permanent in the coming weeks.

There are others in the Munster pack, like Edwin Edogbo and Tom Ahern, with huge futures ahead of them. Now might be the chance to make bigger impacts.

It was also supposed to be a fresh start for Joey Carbery. Time to put that disappointing World Cup cycle behind him and forge a path back into Andy Farrell’s plans. With Sexton’s retirement, there’s a big gap in the Irish out-half pathway.

There’s no shortage of young talent to fill that hole. Jack Crowley is