Scarlets lock Tadhg Beirne is set to quit the region at the end of the season and return home to Ireland to join Munster.
Beirne – who had an outstanding first season with the Guinness Pro12 champions – has turned down the offer of a new two-year deal in order to pursue his international ambitions with Ireland.
The 25-year-old was an integral part of the region’s triumph last season, scoring a try in the runaway final victory over Munster in Dublin, and Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac was desperate to keep him at Parc Y Scarlets, where he has formed a formidable second row partnership with Wales forward Jake Ball.
But the former Ireland Under-20 star has been identified by Munster and the IRFU as the long term successor to Donnacha Ryan, who left the Irish province for Racing 92 at the end of last season.
“Tadhg had a standout game for us at the breakdown in Ulster last weekend, but he is one of about 20 players who are coming out of contract at the end of this season,” admitted Pivac.
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt is known to be a keen admirer of Beirne, but is unlikely to pick him this season while he is still playing outside of the four provincial teams.
Beirne played just four games for Leinster before he was tempted over the Irish Sea to join the Scarlets at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Earlier this summer he admitted: “If I want to play for Ireland, I have to come home. That’s the reality. They don’t pick you outside it.
“Everyone wants to play for their country since they’ve been kids. Right now I’ve another year at Scarlets, I’m going to focus on that.
“When there’s contract talks, we’ll look at it then. Right now my focus is with Scarlets for another year.
“It was a brave decision to come and join the Scarlets, but it was the best decision of my career.
“I wouldn’t have been playing if I had of stayed with Leinster, and I came to the Scarlets with some hope of getting some game time and I didn’t get it at the start. But I got an opportunity, and I took it.”
