After three games and an impressive start from the Irish sides in the BKT United Rugby Championship, the four provinces will be able to reload their Irish World Cup stars back into their lineups from this weekend.
For Leinster, it's likely to alter their team dramatically over the next few weeks as they bring 18 players back into contention, while for Connacht and Ulster, who each bring three players back into their squads this week, it's a small supplement to what they already have.
There's no time like the start of a World Cup cycle to make a big impression, as the likes of Hugo Keenan and Rónan Kelleher showed in 2019/20, and with the provinces shorn of their internationals, the first three rounds of this season have given an opportunity for several young - and some older - players to catch the eye of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.
Tom Ahern - Munster
It's taken a while for it to happen for the Munster second row, but the 23-year-old has made a hot start to the 2023/24 season.
Ahern has been on the radar since starring for the Grand Slam-winning Ireland Under-20 side of 2019, and has generally impressed when given opportunities by Munster over the last four seasons.
He had been expected to make a big leap last season, but after featuring for Emerging Ireland, and making three appearances for Munster, he picked up a shoulder injury in October 2022 which saw him miss the rest of the season.
Appearances can be deceiving, but he looks like he's added some weight to his 6ft 8in frame in the last 12 months, and has been powerful in his three games this season scoring two tries, while also maintaining the speed and skill that was evident early in his career.
Ahern is someone already on Andy Farrell's radar having been included as a development player in the Irish squad back in 2021, before his Emerging Ireland call-up last year.
Jamie Osborne - Leinster
It appears to be a matter of when, not if, Osborne wins a senior cap.
The Naas man got his first taste of the senior squad alongside Ahern as a development player in 2021, and has taken further steps since then. In 2022 he played for Emerging Ireland and Ireland A, while he was also included in the senior squad for the Six Nations as well as the extended training squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
While he missed Leinster's first game of the season, he's been outstanding in the centre in the wins against both the Sharks and Edinburgh and was named player of the match in the latter.
With five offloads, he ranks high on the URC's stats sheet while his cannon of a left foot has been used brilliantly by Leinster to exit their 22, averaging 52.5 metres from his nine kicks so far this season.
Osborne only turns 22 next week, but at 6ft 4in and 97kg he's physically well developed and has already played 33 times for the province, looking comfortable at both inside and outside centre, as well as wing and full-back.
Will face a tougher challenge for gametime between now and Christmas with Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw returning from the World Cup, but his versatility makes him a great squad option.
Cathal Forde - Connacht
The 22-year-old has arguably been the standout player in the URC through the opening three weeks, and has formed an excellent centre partnership with Tom Farrell.
Looking across the stats book, Forde's name pops up everywhere; In addition to two tries, he's in the top five for clean breaks and leads the league in both carries and defenders beaten. On the other side of the ball, his 41 tackles make him tied for fifth overall, while he's even been 100% off the kicking tee with two conversions and two penalties.
Removing stats from the equation, Forde also passes the eye test. His two tries were the result of intelligent running lines off set-pieces, while his ability to play at both centre and out-half means he can switch up with both Jack Carty and JJ Hanrahan as first receiver when needed, adding another layer of variety in attack.
He's already on the Irish radar after featuring for Emerging Ireland last year, and this form is no major surprise given how he kept Bundee Aki out of the Connacht team for a time last season.
Aki is back in contention now following the World Cup, but Connacht have always been careful managing his minutes, and Forde should still see plenty of gametime.
It may not be enough to bring him into the Ireland squad, given the depth Farrell has at centre, but the Ireland coach could be tempted to have a look at the Galway man if he takes on a larger training squad before the Six Nations.
Dylan Tierney-Martin - Connacht
Tierney-Martin enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022/23, scoring six tries in 18 appearances, as well as coming up with the crucial match-winning turnover in Connacht's URC quarter-final win against Ulster in May.
With Dave Heffernan injured to start this season, the Galway man has had three starts in a row to begin this campaign, and on form he's well positioned to retain his spot as first choice even when the more experienced Heffernan gats back from injury.
Only two players have carried the ball more than the 24-year-old in the opening three rounds, while he's averaging nine tackles per game as part of a Connacht team that have won three games out of three and sit top of the table. On top of that, his lineout throwing has been sharp.
Ireland are well stocked at hooker with Dan Sheehan, Kelleher and Rob Herring the clear top three, but with Tom Stewart and Diarmuid Barron next in line, Tierney-Martin is well capable of muscling in on that group if he maintains his current form.
Jake Flannery - Ulster
While the ex-Munster man didn't feature in the Round 2 win against the Bulls, the 24-year-old looked sharp and confident in his two appearances of the season.
For whatever reason, Flannery couldn't get a look-in in his debut season at Ulster but with Ian Madigan retiring, the Tipperary native looks set to compete with Billy Burns for the 10 shirt in this campaign.
Against Zebre in Italy he put pace on an Ulster attack which were scoring easily, while he also impressed in Saturday's defeat to Connacht at the Sportsground, scoring all 13 of their first half points, and adding a conversion after the break.
Internationally, Jack Crowley and Ross Byrne look like being the top two contenders to start for Ireland in the Six Nations following Johnny Sexton's retirement, but there's a crowded market of contenders beneath them, of which Flannery is one.
An impressive run of form leading up to Christmas would put him right in the mix for a pace in a Six Nations squad.
Calvin Nash and Shane Daly - Munster
While Daly has been playing at full-back this season, the Munster duo are included as a pair given how well their styles seem to fit into how the Ireland head coach uses his wingers.
Last season the pair firmly established themselves as the province's first choice wingers, and only an injury for Mike Haley has seen Daly swap the 11 shirt for 15 this season.
Even at full-back, the 26-year-old has impressed as a safe pair of hands in the backfield while being a counterattacking threat, with only Gavin Coombes carrying more ball for Munster this season.
Nash enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022/23 which ultimately led to a place in the extended Irish squad and a first cap in the summer.
The 26-year-old has been electric in his two appearances, scoring two tries against the Dragons on Saturday, with his 11 defenders beaten the highest the URC has seen in a single game since May 2022.
Jack Aungier - Connacht
While Connacht are getting plenty of praise for their gripping attacking play, Aungier has been going about his business quietly and efficiently at tighthead.
The former Leinster man is now in his fourth season at the province, and having played more than 50 times for Connacht by the age of 24, looks to be benefitting from rugby week-in and week-out.
He's started all three games in the absence of Finlay Bealham and was particularly physical in defence in the opening win against the Ospreys.
With Bealham back following the World Cup, Aungier is likely to drop back to the bench across the next few weeks, however with Bealham, Tadhg Furlong and Tom O'Toole the established top three with Ireland, Aungier has the opportunity to catch the eye of Farrell in the next couple of months.
Roman Salanoa appeared to be next-man-in for the Irish squad last season, but the Munster tighthead is on the long-term injury list, giving Aungier a real opportunity to climb the depth chart.
Tommy O'Brien - Leinster
An ACL injury had seen O'Brien fall off the radar for last season, but having returned late in the 2022/23 campaign he looks like a man making up for lost time in these first three games.
The 25-year-old has played every minute of the season so far and has scored a try in all three games to remind people how high his ceiling is, and while he's an impressive attacker, he's arguably even better on defence, as shown when he snuffed out an Edinburgh 2v1 attack in the 64th minute of last Saturday's win at the RDS.
His long-term injury means he has a lot of names to pass in the depth chart for wing, but spoke of his determination to become an Ireland international ahead of this season.
Dave McCann - Ulster
As part of a top quality Ireland Under-20 team in 2019 and 2020 there was a lot expected of McCann, and he is definitely living up to the hype.
The 23-year-old has picked up plenty of first team experience across the last couple of seasons, but his early performances in this campaign would suggest he's now elevated to one of Ulster's key back-rowers.
Featuring at blindside, openside and number 8 across his three games this season, McCann's performances have been all-action, leading the league in tackles (47), while his five turnovers won is second only to Connacht's Shamus Hurley-Langton.
Another who featured on that Emerging Ireland tour, McCann is clearly part of the wider conversation for international rugby, even with the queue of quality Irish backrowers growing year on year.
Watch Ulster v Munster in the URC on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra
Watch Dragons v Leinster in the URC on Sunday from 1pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
