Form, especially across the water with leading English sides, has been rewarded in Eddie O'Sullivan's 35-man squad for the forthcoming RBS Six Nations with call-ups for Shane Jennings and Eoin Reddan - two upwardly mobile internationals of the future.
In both instances, the selections have been earned on the back of playing regularly and well for two of the leading English sides, namely Leicester and Wasps, and thus also justify their decisions for moving abroad.
Jennings might have ended up playing second fiddle to Keith Gleeson at Leinster this season - ironically a prospect that loomed ever larger to him in light of the backrow selection for last season's Heineken European Cup quarter-final against Leicester - had he stayed put while Reddan was often third-choice scrumhalf at Munster.
In a further irony, Jennings is now called into an Irish squad for the first time while Gleeson, despite rediscovering his best form since missing much of last season, doesn't feature as one of eight backrowers named.
Jennings, an intelligent, out-and-out openside like Gleeson who is mightily effective as a linkman and at the breakdown, has flourished under the tutelage of Neil Back at Leicester.
Reddan would probably still be at Connacht were it not for the IRFU placing the Sword of Damacles over the province two seasons ago. But having made few inroads in the pecking order at Munster last season he was lured to Wasps by Warren Gatland - in effect, also a parting present to Ireland.
Despite the presence of three-time Lion and probable English first-choice Matt Dawson, Ian McGeechan has started the 25-year-old former Crescent College pupil in a dozen of Wasps' games this season. Although he was only confined to an eye-catching 10-minute cameo role as Dawson's temporary replacement against Toulouse last Saturday when watched by Niall O'Donovan, Reddan has done enough lately to jump ahead of Kieran Campbell and Issac Boss in the scrumhalf queue.
Although only an inch taller than Peter Stringer at 5ft 8ins, Reddan appears to be physically stronger this season and his speed to the breakdown suits Wasps' game, while he's always had a quick break.
Granted Stringer has been rejuvenated this season, and Guy Easterby has played very well in the last month (witness the overhead offload last Saturday), so Reddan may find himself playing in the revived A matches against France, Scotland and England.
This will probably apply to the two other uncapped players in the expanded squad, the up-and-coming Leinster duo of Robert Kearney and Jamie Heaslip, who were also in the 31-man Irish squad for last November's Test series, though they did not make the 22-man cut for any of the games, even against Romania.
O'Sullivan also welcomes back Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell, Denis Hickie and Guy Easterby from injury, while three late Munster additions to the November squad for the game against Romania retain their places in the squad - Jerry Flannery, Mick O'Driscoll and John Kelly - are again named, although a fourth, Trevor Hogan, misses the cut. Flannery is one of three hookers with Shane Byrne and Rory Best.
Reddan's half-back partner at Wasps of late, Jeremy Staunton, has also been recalled to the squad in what is a welcome development as O'Sullivan has to start searching for an alternative to the long-standing choice of Ronan O'Gara and Stringer.
Again, Gatland's punt here when few others would have done so after being cast adrift at Harlequins in light of Andrew Mehrtens' arrival, has benefited Staunton and Ireland.
Some of those involved last November have been demoted, notably Matt McCullough, Campbell and Anthony Horgan. McCullough came on as a replacement against the All Blacks and Australia, while Campbell started against Romania but, like Anthony Horgan whose confidence was shot by the All Blacks' game and subsequently the only player to be dropped after that 45-7 loss, he even lost his place for his province last weekend.
Leo Cullen (who played against Romania), Kieran Lewis and David Quinlan, all named in that 31-man squad for the November Tests, also miss out, while aside from Gleeson there is no room for Trevor Brennan or Bob Casey. The only players ruled out through injury were Alan Quinlan and Frankie Sheahan.
Confining his comments to an IRFU press release, O'Sullivan was quoted: "Paul (O'Connell) and Brian (O'Driscoll) have had tough seasons so far in terms of injuries, but their form has been excellent since they returned to playing in December. Along with the return of Denis Hickie, it gives the squad a little bit more experience than we had in November. Keeping in mind that we have the final round of the Heineken Cup this weekend, hopefully the squad will be fit and well and on the field next Monday morning."
He added: "As well as the return of the more senior players, we still have a good blend of youth with Andrew Trimble, Rory Best, Neil Best and Jerry Flannery all coming into the Six Nations with a little bit more experience."
Commenting on the new additions, he said: "Both Eoin (Reddan) and Shane (Jennings) have been in good form for their clubs, so it will be good to see how they go with the squad next week. Jeremy Staunton and John Kelly have also been playing well and deserve their call-up."
In many ways though, assembling 35 players for the initial training was the easy part. Now comes the tougher questions, such as O'Sullivan's choice at hooker, perming three starters and a replacement from eight backrowers, not to mention three from eight in the outside backs, given the excellence of Girvan Dempsey and the return of Denis Hickie, as well as the continuing claims of Geordan Murphy, Shane Horgan and Tommy Bowe.
Ireland: Six Nations squad
Forwards (19)
Neil Best (Ulster) 2
Rory Best (Ulster) 2
Simon Best (Ulster) 10
Shane Byrne (Saracens) 41
Reggie Corrigan (Leinster) 46
Simon Easterby (Llanelli) 44
Anthony Foley (Munster) 62
Jerry Flannery (Munster) 1
John Hayes (Munster) 57
Jamie Heaslip (Leinster) 0
Marcus Horan (Munster) 33
Shane Jennings (Leicester) 0
Denis Leamy (Munster) 6
Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster) 19
Paul O'Connell (Munster) 29
Johnny O'Connor (Wasps) 10
Mick O'Driscoll (Munster) 3
Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster) 75
David Wallace (Munster) 22
Backs (16)
Tommy Bowe (Ulster) 6
Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster) 15
Girvan Dempsey (Leinster) 62
Guy Easterby (Leinster) 28
Denis Hickie (Leinster) 51
Shane Horgan (Leinster) 40
David Humphreys (Ulster) 72
Robert Kearney (Leinster) 0
John Kelly (Munster) 17
Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 34
Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster) 59
Ronan O'Gara (Munster) 55
Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 0
Jeremy Staunton (Wasps) 3
Peter Stringer (Munster) 61
Andrew Trimble (Ulster) 2
Not considered though injury: Alan Quinlan (Munster), 23; Frankie Sheahan (Munster), 24.
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