Despite Joe Schmidt and David Nucifora looking to raid the Leinster coffers, the province's out-half riches will reportedly remain intact.
According to The Sunday Times, Schmidt and IRFU performance director Nucifora paid a visit to Leo Cullen on the weekend prior to their Champions Cup semi-final against Scarlets.
Its purpose was to inform the Leinster head coach that he had a choice to make between Joey Carbery and Ross Byrne. He could keep one, the other would head north to Ulster. It was said Leinster were unhappy regarding the timing of the visit and that a decision would be postponed.
However, according to Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh, rugby reporter with the Irish edition of The Times, Leinster expect both Carbery and Byrne to remain at the RDS. The meeting between Schmidt, Nucifora and Cullen did take place but such meetings are apparently a regular occurrence.
With the Rugby World Cup just 17 months away and Joey Carbery currently Ireland's number two out-half behind Johnny Sexton, more game time for the 22-year-old at the position was required. Despite being Ireland's backup, that was not the case with Leinster. Instead, Byrne has been selected at ten with Carbery usually at fullback.
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