Nicky Thomas returns to Ospreys

It’s also why David Humphreys as performance director is very smart business.

His legal background and recent governance roles help him no end.

The IRFU invest equally in the pathways of all four provinces but they are not receiving much in return from Munster, Ulster and Connacht, although the Union’s focus on Provincial Talent Squads and National Talent Squads seems only to have shrunk the base designed to develop international quality players.

The IRFU invest equally in the pathways of all four provinces but they are not receiving much in return from Munster, Ulster and Connacht, although the Union’s focus on Provincial Talent Squads and National Talent Squads seems only to have shrunk the base designed to develop international quality players.Viewed in that light, Leinster’s excellence should be celebrated. Where Irish rugby would be without them really doesn’t bear thinking about. That’s why the stellar signings of the last 12 months, and the IRFU sanctioning the arrival of Rieko Ioane, are positives. Leinster winning the Champions Cup would be brilliant for Irish rugby. Rather than close the gap by diluting Leinster in any way, the Union need to strengthen the other three.

The restructuring of the Union’s funding model last week is presumably with this ideal in mind and followed ‘a planned review of its funding model’. Hence it had been in the pipeline for a year or so, and it will take many years for it to bear fruit. The likelihood is that much of the investment in Under-20s and Sevens programmes will also be redirected towards the other three provinces.

But you didn’t say merely that Dublin was the biggest population centre you said that it was by a considerable distance (see quote below). This is demonstrably false. Dublin Urban area is about 1.3 million. Belfast is .75 million. Provinces are 2.9 and 2.3 million respectively. When faced with facts you pretend. You claimed the lack of top flight soccer in Dublin meant that it had an ‘Inherent’ advantage over other provinces. A cursory look at the top of the League of Ireland shows that 3 of the top 4 teams in that League are Dublin based.

In the biggest supported game, GAA football, Dublin have won 9 al-Ireland titles since 2011. You are being dishonest. Your commentary on Dublin, Leinster or Ireland cannot be taken seriously. You invent facts to fit your petty jealousies.

So fanbase, sure Leinster have a larger fanbase and that’s a direct result of being, by a considerable distance, the largest urban population on Ireland, aided further by the absence of any top tier football teams that similar cities across other countries have. Once again an inherent advantage over the other provinces