Will Connors believes making the next step at Leinster is a faster route back to the Ireland set-up than a move to any of the other provinces.
The 28-year-old Kildare man won the last of nine international caps in March of 2021 in a Six Nations game against Scotland.
Injuries curtailed his game time the following season and when he recovered he found himself in competition with a rejuvenated Josh van der Flier, European and World Rugby player of the year in 2022, Lions Test starter Jack Conan, Caelan Doris, who has captained both Leinster and Ireland, and Ryan Baird, who has become the favoured number 6 option and accumulated 20 international caps.
Leo Cullen decided Connors was the horse for the La Rochelle course and he started both Champions Cup wins over the European champions.
His nine other games this season have all come in the URC and he didn't make the match-day squad for the semi-final win over Northampton on Saturday.
Yesterday, Leinster announced that two-cap Ireland international Max Deegan had agreed a contract extension after being linked with a switch to Ulster, and on Monday that academy graduate James Culhane had signed a senior deal.
In addition, regular captain Scott Penny is looking to push his claims for more European game time.
The likes of Joey Carbery, Jack McGrath and Jordi Murphy have previously left logjams at the province to get more game time but despite the incredible level of competition in the back row, Connors says he is in the right place.
"To really push myself and to get back into an Irish set-up, I have to deliver on the stage here in Leinster and push myself into this side.
"Kinda coming in and out of it is probably not enough and being able to put myself back into the picture is probably the best way to drive forward so every chance I get I’ll keep putting my best foot forward and just hope it delivers."
He says that the Ireland management team are always in contact with the provincial players.
"I think that’s the beauty of the coaching staff in Ireland," he added.
"They’ve been really good with conversations I’ve had with all the lads in other provinces about being connected with people who may be on the fringes, or haven’t been in the squad in a while, they keep good conversations going.
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Bench concerns for Leinster
"That’s what drives the competitive edge of how Ireland has been. To make any Ireland panel has always been difficult but the push from all the other provinces has been exceptional.
"You look at the players across each position, the pecking order, there’s not a huge amount between each player and that’s down to the provinces going well and the conversations the lads are having with the coaching staff.
"Especially Paulie [O’Connell] is great at giving you things to work on, what’s important, keep driving [us] they’ve been great for that."
While the PhD student missed out in the action at a sold-out Croke Park, he said even running out on the pitch during the warm-up was a brilliant experience.
He said: "Not being involved, from a personal point of view, I was disappointed but still I was in amongst the warm-up and the highlight was when we gathered at the half-way and we had the Hill facing us and it was probably one of the biggest lifts I felt in rugby, coming around that corner and the Hill erupted, which was something special.
"If we had the Hill like that the whole time we’d be absolutely rocking, it was some craic."
Like all Leinster fans, Connors had to endure a nervy final quarter as the hosts hung on for a 20-17 victory and a place in the final against Toulouse on 25 May.
"Although it probably looked manic and uncontrolled the lads knew that they were going to be able to withstand it," Connor, who hopes to feature against Ospreys at the RDS on Saturday (7.35pm), said.
"Never in doubt."
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