Ulster out-half Billy Burns believes he's a different player and is "desperate" to get back into the Ireland fold.
The 29-year-old won the last of seven Irish caps against Japan in the summer of 2021 before falling down the pecking order behind Johnny Sexton, Joey Carbery and Ross Byrne.
Subsequently, Jack Crowley emerged as an Andy Farrell favourite during the World Cup, while Harry Byrne and Jack Carty have claims of their own.
Burns knows he's remembered for missing a kick to touch in that season’s Six Nations clash against Wales that cost Ireland a chance to score a late winner.
With Sexton now retired, and with no successor anointed, there’s is perhaps a chance at redemption.
He started Ulster’s fine Champions Cup victory over Racing 92 in December and was man of the match in Monday’s BKT URC win over Leinster at the RDS.
In terms of timing, his hand has shot up, with three try-assists off his boot.
Ulster boss Dan McFarland described the Bath native as "one of the best in the game" at kick-passing.
"Oh, massively," Burns tells RTÉ Sport when asked after the 22-21 victory in Dublin if the desire to represent Ireland is still there.
"Everyone wants to play at the top level and I feel like I'm a much different player to what I was when I was in the last time.
"I've just learned a lot. I went in there and I probably didn't express myself. I feel like I can handle the pressure a lot better than I did the last time.
"And that's not necessarily the obvious mistakes, the mis-hit into touch against Wales. Just generally around the place.
"But, sorry to say it, I've just got to keep playing well and see what happens.
"I'm loving my time with Ulster. We all genuinely believe in the direction we're going in, we're trying to change the way we're playing slightly and I want to play my part in that.
"It's tough enough keeping my number 10 jersey, Jake Flannery is playing unbelievably well, Nathan Doak can step in there and play. Hopefully I can just keep building on this performance.
"I don't want it to be a fluke, I want to keep building because the attacking kicking a couple of years ago was probably my point of difference and I went away from it, whether it be through confidence, lack of form or whatever.
"Hopefully nights like this one are performances I can build on and hopefully can go again for the tough challenge against Toulouse in a couple of weeks."
Burns (below) was an interested spectator as the team fell at the quarter-final hurdle in France again. He says that there’s been no contact from the Ireland management and understands why.
"I'm desperate to be back. I loved watching the World Cup," added the former England U20 international, who scored a try for Ulster in their Champions Cup loss at Bath.
"My form hasn’t warranted a phone call, to be honest with you.
"Like, I'm a realist, I haven't been playing well enough the last couple of years, not from lack of trying, I do feel like I'm hopefully starting to get back to the level where I was and I feel the style of rugby that we're playing now will really suit me.
"But again, it's one good game, it doesn't make me Ireland's future number 10. I've got to back it up week on week in big games.
"I'll just keep my head down and keep working and see what happens. Sorry to be boring."
Ulster caught Leinster out with kicks for all their tries and Burns said they had done their homework.
"If you're asking if we were well prepared, yes," he said.
"We've got great coaches who have a great plan and we stuck to our plan. We knew the game that they were trying to play, especially defensively with crazy line-speed at times and it worked for us.
"Our tries came from kicks but the majority of that was from good build-up play before the kicks as well.
"It wasn't a fluke, we planned all that stuff and it's actually pleasing when it comes off. It was the template for us this week. We saw a little chink in the armour, we went for it and it worked out for us, but sometimes it doesn't.
SECOND TRY FOR ULSTER - Billy Burns with another deft kick through for Jacob Stockdale to touch down
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"It was pretty clear to see what we had to do against these guys, the line-speed they play with it is mental, it's so tough to play against and so it seemed like the obvious thing to do.
"I knew it had been a while when before most games my mum calls me and says, 'why don't you try a chip over [the top]?'
"My mum doesn't have a clue about rugby, bless her.
"She was [right, though], but she says it every week, so she was bound to be right at some point.
"But it's part of my game and I enjoy doing it, and I'd say probably a lack of confidence maybe, the way that we used to play a little bit didn't quite help that, but yeah, I want to get back to that and like I said, I'm desperate to make sure that this wasn't a fluke."
