The IRFU has no plans to loosen their criteria around selecting overseas players in a bid to save funds following a difficult financial period during the pandemic.

Although all of Ireland’s stars are currently playing in the country, there are some big names, including Johnny Sexton and Tadhg Furlong, out of contract at the end of the season.

Furlong opted to sign just a one-year contract extension last May, with the world-class tighthead set to face major demand from abroad.

Even below the top-level tier, several players could have their heads turned, with Ross Byrne understood to be stalling over signing a fresh deal with Leinster, amidst strong interest from France, while his team-mate Peter Dooley is thought to be considering an offer from Harlequins.

Should the likes of Byrne and Dooley opt to move outside Ireland, they are unlikely to be considered by Andy Farrell, even if it means the union were to save money on salaries.

“Our position has always been that we don’t have a hard and fast rule in place, but we will by and large select the national team from players based in Ireland,” IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said.

“If we don’t do that we end up undermining the game here in Ireland.

“The bottom line is that we want to keep our best players here, so that we can control the amount of game-time that they can have, look after them properly and ensure that their best matches are at provincial level and national level for the big matches here at the Aviva Stadium.

“If we allow players to move abroad, yes, we might potentially save some money, but we might also lose money because we are not performing at the same level we are at the moment. That’s the delicate balance.”