It's just short of a year since David Humphreys got his feet settled under the desk at the IRFU.
The former Ireland and Ulster out-half started his role as performance director in March of last year, working alongside outgoing chief David Nucifora for a handover process before taking full control in June.
Among a busy in-tray, one of Humphreys’s biggest and most immediate tasks is to try close the growing gap between Leinster and the rest.
While Munster have won a trophy more recently than Leinster, it’s impossible to ignore the gulf that is there between Leo Cullen’s side and the other three provinces at the moment.
Aided by the arrivals of RG Snyman, Jordie Barrett and Rabah Slimani, Leinster have won 14 games out of 14 this season. By contrast, Munster, Ulster and Connacht have a combined 16 wins between them.
The production line at Leinster is also moving at a different speed, in large part down to the money and resources available to the private schools which contribute so heavily to the playing pool, while at the top level, the central contract system is utterly dominated by Leinster talent.
"We have to ensure the provinces close the gap to where the current difference with Leinster is," Humphreys said this week.
However, the IRFU performance chief insists his job is to help bring the other three provinces closer to Leinster’s level, rather than taking the leading province down a few pegs.
"At this moment in time, Leinster have been unbelievably successful. Everyone around the world of rugby is looking to what Leinster are doing in their system to produce the players and the success they've had. For me, it's about making sure that Leinster remain where they are.
"So it's much more a case of maintaining Leinster where they are, but making sure the support that goes to the other provinces allows them to continue their progression and move.
"I think the big message is that Leinster are where they are, they have a lot of unique parts to what makes Leinster successful, capital city and everything that comes with that.
"So rather than compare the other provinces and say, Leinster have got this, the other provinces haven't got that, it's what’s right for each of those provinces and that's very much going to have to be driven by them."
When Ireland kick-off their Guinness Six Nations campaign against England on Saturday, it’s likely there will be as many as 11 of the starting 15 coming from the eastern province.
And Humphreys admits they must be wary of creating a sense of disillusionment among Irish rugby supporters across the country.
"That’s definitely a risk," he added.
"People are getting frustrated especially in provinces where supporters have been used to success, been used to competing at the very top level.
"For sure that’s a challenge but what we’ve got to do is…I’ve always believed if we can get the product right on the pitch, we know that the supporters will come back."
Since coming into his role, Humphreys has been consistent in his messaging around player development.
While he has insisted the IRFU will never force a player to move from one province to the other, they won’t look favourably on a player who is content to be caught in backlog.
That message appears to be getting through, with Leinster pair Michael Milne and Lee Barron both set to join Munster next season as they look to get more first-team exposure, while Harry Byrne (below) has also been linked with a move to Munster and Ulster.
Byrne is currently out on loan at Bristol Bears and has already played four times in the Premiership.
And Humphreys says he hopes to see more loan deals like this from Irish players who have been struggling for game time.
"I've always maintained that, especially players in the spine of a team, you can train as hard as you like, you can experience really good training, but you've got to get out on the pitch, you've got to be put under pressure.
"Ideally, we have players playing in Ireland but we're always open to opportunities that arise both short-term and long-term.
"He's still under contract to Ireland. There's a right of recall if we need him so he still remains very much part of the plan. If we wanted to select him, there's no restriction at all.
"To be very clear, this is a short-term loan. Players who decide to leave the system, we won't be selecting players from outside Ireland."
David Humphreys spoke to reporters at Ireland's training camp in Portugal, where he addressed a number of burning issues in Irish rugby
Mack Hansen's suspension, and the expected retirement of referee Chris Busby
"Everybody knows what Mack did was wrong.
"I know there's been lots of chatting that we want players showing their personality and of course we do. That's what Mack brings, it's one of his points of difference that he brings a real different background. He has been a breath of fresh air through the squad in many ways. But there's a line.
"That's why the action was taken against Mack. So very clearly what Mack said was unacceptable.
"Losing a referee who is coming into the peak of his career is a huge loss but I think there's also elements to that which, we talk about players and moving players, there's sometimes reasons behind decisions which sometimes aren't in the public domain."
Has he spoken to Felix Jones about a return to Irish rugby?
"I have met Felix a couple of times over the course of the last 12 months.
"Felix has been ongoing but it’s not something in the short term.
"You’d love to see all Irish coaches back coaching in the system, especially ones of the quality of Felix.
"It’s different from playing, going out and with the experience he’s got in different clubs in different countries. That, ultimately, will prepare them better for when those conversations start happening – to try and bring them back into the Irish system."
A huge year for women's rugby in Ireland
"The future of women's rugby in Ireland is only on one trajectory, it's going upwards.
"You'll have seen in the strategic plan that there's a specific element of accelerating the women's game. Lynne Cantwell coming in is a huge appointment, it's a real statement of intent by the IRFU as to where we see the programme.
"The World Cup is another step in that direction, it's a huge year for the IRFU and a huge opportunity for the 15s team to show the progress they've made in a very short period.
"It's only going one way and it's an exciting part of what's happening in Ireland rugby."
Provinces have got on board with ban on non-Ireland qualified front row signings
"It started a conversation. We all recognised that front row succession was something that Andy Farrell was very concerned about.
"Even in the course of the last six months, with someone like Thomas Clarkson coming through, some of the real concerns have eased. But, we're still very conscious that developing front row forwards is a huge priority for us.
"It's why Seamus Toomey has been appointed as the scrum development coach to do a lot of that work further down at 16-18 level and underage teams from a technical point of view.
"The nature of high performance, yes of course you're going to set some restrictions and guidelines to give people some parameters in which to work, but as we showed in November when there's a pressure in a particular province, ie with Munster, Dian Bleuler was allowed to be signed because, from a performance point of view, we had to be flexible and adaptable."
Who are Ireland playing this summer, and where?
"At this stage the logistics behind the tour are still on going. We'll be playing Georgia and then travelling down to Portugal to play Portugal so it’s a two-match summer tour series
"It’s another opportunity for some of our younger players on the basis that we will have a significant number of players away in Australia [with the Lions].
"It will give some of that younger group who have had opportunities in Emerging Ireland, opportunities against England 'A’ in a few weeks’ time to get more experience at international level and work with the coaches."
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