Robbie Henshaw, it has already been confirmed, will see out his current Connacht contract that runs until the summer of 2016. Then it gets very interesting as Leinster, Munster and, after Sunday's try and 13 tackles in victory over England, several European clubs will be seeking his signature.

"It's already been made clear in statements: Robbie is there for the duration of his contract with Connacht," said IRFU chief executive Philip Browne in response to speculation that he might break with normal contractual protocol by moving to Dublin or Limerick/Cork next season.

“I think it is the right thing; he is getting great experience down there. He is in a group that he is familiar with and he is first choice in his position. He has obviously come on leaps and bounds as a player.

“As a person he has a great personality. It is going to be very interesting to see how Robbie progresses over the next number of years.”

By the start of the 2016/17 season Henshaw could be in the rarefied company of Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Heaslip in that his central national contract will be topped up by private investment.

Sexton has secured an image rights arrangement with Topaz that begins on his return from Paris while Heaslip's deal was improved by Bank of Ireland sponsorship.

Munster, Ulster and Connacht have yet to secure a player’s services with the aid of private investment.

"I spoke with Pat Lam over a year ago and he was never leaving Connacht until the contract was up," said Tony Henshaw, Robbie's father, having previously been represented by former Connacht team-mates Conor O'Loughlin and Keith Matthews. "We'll wait until after the World Cup before I'd even ask him what he wants to do next."

The Henshaws will be dealing with Ireland's high-performance director David Nucifora for the next negotiation.