Ulster's Ireland players send out message to Andy Farrell ahead of New Zealand tour

Ulster have their eye on silverware and while it's not Dan McFarland’s concern at the moment, the timing of their run might just force Andy Farrell’s hand.

Lock Iain Henderson was one of the few Ulster players to regularly make the Six Nations match-day squads, while Mike Lowry, James Hume, Rob Baloucoune, Kieran Treadwell, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Stuart McCloskey and Nick Timoney have been there or thereabouts over the last year.

But having done a URC double over Leinster and on Friday knocked out a Munster side that contained more established international figures, there are calls to reward form when Ireland visit New Zealand for a three-Test summer tour in July.

"Andy [Farrell] and Paul [O’Connell] were here tonight," McFarland said after their quarter-final win over Munster.

"The reason they are here is because a game like that is of interest to them. It’s Irish guys going toe-to-toe, everything on the line.

"Munster had the vast majority of their big guns out tonight and a lot of our guys stood up. It’s so competitive.

"They build a back catalogue of games in where they’ve performed and some of our guys might have added a little bit of plus in there.

"I’m sure Andy’s writing those notes down and making consideration around whether he’s going to pick them in which game for the international, or in which games against the Maoris."

While Leinster duo Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose have maintained an excellent consistency over the season, McCloskey and Hume appear to have come good at the right time, the Ulster pair combining to lethal effect against Johann van Graan’s men.

"[Let’s] just see what happens," said Hume, who appeared twice as a replacement during the Six Nations, when asked about his summer plans.

"It's been a