Munster's late season revival has provided plenty of food for thought for Ireland boss Andy Farrell ahead of the naming of the extended World Cup training squad today.
At some stage this afternoon, Farrell's selections for the training panel will be confirmed - believed to be around 45 players.
That number will be whittled down to 33 over a 10-week, three-Test summer period culminating with the final warm-up clash in Bayonne against Samoa on August 26.
READ MORE: Jeremy Loughman looks forward to what's to come for URC champions Munster
The chosen ones will then travel back to France for the official welcoming ceremony in Tours on September 2 - a week ahead of the opening group game against Romania in Bordeaux.
Munster's superb charge to the URC title will be factored in by Farrell and his coaches.
Leinster will still dominate in terms of squad numbers but the landscape shifted a little with the disappointing end to their season on both fronts, and with the Reds' dramatic Grand Final victory over the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.
Go through any position in the team and there are Munster players who could, or should, benefit from winning the province's first silverware in 12 years.
In the back three, any fears that Keith Earls would miss out after his absence from the Test stage since last summer were dispelled by his performance from the start against Leinster in the URC semi-final and his big effort off the bench in the final.
Shane Daly and Calvin Nash were in a good position to get the nod anyway but Saturday franked their inclusion. They were outstanding as they capped very consistent seasons.
Antoine Frisch has had a big debut season for the Reds and the French-born, Irish qualified centre has expressed a desire to play for Farrell.
He does look likely to fall just outside the line for selection, though he did put that wayward pass out of the tackle that resulted in an intercept try for Mannie Libbock out of his mind and a 100% tackle success rate underlined his contribution.
Munster's half-backs also profited, although Conor Murray, Craig Casey and Jack Crowley were always going to make the cut.
Crowley, with his drop-goal winner against Leinster and highly assured final display may well have overtaken Ross Byrne in the out-half pecking order behind Johnny Sexton at the finals.
Joey Carbery wasn't in the matchday squad again. It will be interesting to see if Farrell keeps faith by selecting him for the training squad, but there is a fair chance he won't make it.
Murray and Casey, meanwhile, consolidated their positions behind Jamison Gibson-Park as the three scrum-halves expected to travel to France.
In the front row, Jeremy Loughman enhanced his reputation as he stood up to the South African pack and he will be in the training squad. Diarmuid Barron was dangerous in the loose - the hooker faces stiff opposition, but he could be brought into camp for a look.
It would be some story if second row Jean Kleyn were to make it.
Parachuted into the finals squad for Japan 2019, Joe Schmidt picked Kleyn over Devin Toner in the one big controversial call of that year.
The big South African has only made five Test appearances since but has been at the top of his form this season. If he is selected today, it will probably come down to a straight shoot-out between Kleyn and Leinster's Joe McCarthy for a place on the plan.
Winning try scorer John Hodnett propelled himself into the selection picture with his man of the match display in Cape Town. The flanker was on the Emerging Ireland tour and so is on Farrell's radar, but will it be enough?
Also in the back row, Gavin Coombes' latest eye-catching display adds to the mystery why it hasn't happened yet for him at Test level. But he will be in France, and if he clicks on the international scene he will add to a world-class unit.
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