The IRFU's policy on not selecting players who head for foreign shores is not for changing and with a Grand Slam in the bag, and a panel bubbling very nicely towards next year's World Cup in Japan, it's an approach that has been largely vindicated.
Within that, however, are men who'll feel hard done by. The appeal of moving across the water to England or France has proven to strong to resist for the likes of Ian Madigan, Donnacha Ryan and Simon Zebo.
The price is pulling on that green shirt.
Others who have carved out solid careers on foreign soil would have looked at the international set-up and known, realistically, the dream would never materialise.
With Irish players are dotted across Europe, plying their trades from the south of France to the English midlands, we selected an alternative Irish XV: the ineligibles.
1 Jamie Hagan (Bezier)
The well-travelled Dubliner started his career at Leinster, headed west to Connacht for two years and then returned to his home province until 2013, when he moved to London Irish. Following another stint with Leinster, this time on loan, he took the plunge and went Down Under, linking up with former Munster head coach Tony McGahan at Melbourne Rebels. The 31-year-old has been plying his trade with Pro D2 outfit Bezier in the south of France for the last two years. Hagan has one Ireland cap to his name - he played in a 15-12 win against the USA in Houston back in 2013.
2 Tadgh McElroy (Bedford Blues - on loan from Saracens)
McElroy was one of the brightest prospects on the Ireland U20s last year but he was left out of the 2017 World Championship panel after turning down a place in the Connacht academy in favour of a switch to Saracens. The Dundalk man played three times in the Anglo-Welsh Cup last season and is rated by Mark McCall, but he'll continue his development at Championship club Bedford this term, where he will see more first-team action.
3 Daniel Brennan (Montpellier)
Son of former Ireland international Trevor, Daniel has been capped up to U20 level with France, who he helped to World Championship glory in the summer. He's lived in France since he was three - the family moved there when dad joined Toulouse - but he still has a strong Dublin accent. Rassie Erasmus tried to bring Brennan to Munster a year ago, and the prop has said he's open to representing the country of his birth.
4 Dan Tuohy (Vannes)
Tuohy made a short-term move to Stade Francais after being released by Bristol at the tail end of last season, coming in as cover for the injured Brandon Nansen. He has now moved on to Vannes and will come up against Hagan in the Pro D2 this year. He has 11 Ireland caps to his name.
5 Donnacha Ryan (Racing 92)
His maiden season in Paris almost ended in European glory but familiar foes Leinster shattered the dream for Ryan. It took a long time for the Tipp man to get going in France after his high-profile summer switch from Munster, a neck injury holding him back until December. His presence and quality swept through the team immediately though, with a peerless display against his former team in the Champions Cup semi-final a standout.
6 Paddy Butler (Pau)
The Tipp native has three campaigns under his belt in France having grown frustrated with a lack of game time at Munster. Dave Foley and Sean Dougall are familiar faces, while James Coughlan was also still playing when Butler initially made the move; Coughlan has since moved on to a coaching role with the academy. Moving to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region was not supposed to a long-term thing for Butler, 28 in December, but he's carved out a solid Top 14 career and looks settled.
7 Jerry Sexton (Jersey Reds)
Johnny's kid brother made the short hop to the island in 2017 from London Irish and had a fine campaign in the Championship. He suffered a B&I semi-final defeat to Leinster 'A' in April on the same day his sibling helped the first team in to the Champions Cup final, thanks to a last-four slaying of Scarlets. Another former Ireland U20, he's flourished since making the move to Jersey and has established himself as a key part of the team.
8 Conor Gilsenan (London Irish)
The Mullingar man won a B&I Cup with Leinster A and had a loan spell with Connacht before heading for the Exiles in 2014. He hasn't looked back. The 25-year-old is well established at the Madejski Stadium and, though they suffered relegation from the Premiership for the second time in three years in April, the arrival of Declan Kidney as director of rugby and Les Kiss as head coach offers hope they can gain a swift promotion.
9 Michael Heaney (Worcester Warriors)
A summer arrival from Doncaster Knights, Heaney won an U20s Six Nations with Ireland back in 2010. Having started his career with Doncaster, he had a three-year stint with Ulster before returning to England and he turned in enough eye-catching displays in the Championship to earn a mover to Warriors. The Belfast man will get to test himself in the top flight this term.
10 Ian Madigan (Bristol Bears)
Pat Lam's first great coup as Bristol coach came even before he'd taken the reins. Securing the services of Madigan from Bordeaux in the May of 2017 was massive boost for the then Championship-bound club, who would bounce back into the Premiership immediately under Lam. Madigan's head coach recently described. him as "one of the best place-kickers in world rugby". If Bristol are to achieve their ambition of achieving qualification for next season's Champions Cup, the 29-year-old Dubliner will be the man who orchestrates it.
11 Sean Scanlon (Nottingham)
Another product of Munster, Scanlon won a B&I Cup with the province in 2012 under Ian Costello and he was reunited with the head coach last year when moving to Nottingham. Sandwiched in between were moves to Rotherham and Doncaster where he earned a reputation as one of the strongest players in the division. He's double-jobbing too, having recently been appointed head coach at Dronfield RUFC
12 Steven McMahon (Carcassonne)
McMahon, 23, left the Munster academy in 2017 to broaden his horizons but is open about his desire to some day return to his home province. The Dungarvan man had a good campaign with a team who struggled in Pro D2 last season - Carcassonne only just avoided relegation to Fédérale 1 - and cites Keith Earls as a major influence.
13 Brendan Macken (Leicester Tigers)
Leinster academy graduate Macken left Wasps after three seasons in May and will hope to make the most of a two-month deal with the Tigers that expires at the end of the month. His chances with Wasps were limited, and Bristol were among the clubs reported to be interested in his signature.
14 Ciaran Gaffney (Zebre)
The ex-Connacht academy talent suffered dreadful luck upon his return to the Sportsground in February when he suffered a neck injury seven minutes in to Zebre's victory. He stayed in Ireland to have surgery and as frustrating a setback as that was, his overall development in Parma has been a success story. Capable of slotting in anywhere along the back three,
15 Simon Zebo (Racing 92)
Likely to form a frightening back three with Juan Imhoff and Joe Rokocoko this year, Zebo will get full license to show off his sparkling talents at the Top 14 heavyweights. He missed out on the Grand Slam because of his imminent move to France, his swift axing from the panel surprising the player and many fans - "I probably didn't expect it to be so quick and so blunt" - but Zebo is at peace with his decision to move on. A Champions Cup medal would be some consolation.
