Stephen Keogh, the Munster flanker, has already concluded a deal to join Leinster next season while Trevor Hogan, the Irish capped Munster second-row, will follow his colleague up the N7 in a deal that's due to be signed off on in the next couple of days.

And that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Munster have been in contact with a number of Leinster players in the past few weeks with a view to shifting base next season. The ageold barrier between those two provinces, and indeed Connacht and Ulster, appears to be, if not quite broken down, certainly flailing. Not before time, too.

It's all come about because of the happenings of last summer. In that particular close season, seven home-based players decided to pack their respective bags and wave goodbye to the system. Shane Byrne went to Saracens, Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings and Ian Humphreys were enticed over to Leicester, Eoin Reddan joined Wasps, David Quinlan headed to Northampton, while Aidan McCullen decided to sample life in Toulouse as Trevor Brennan had before him. All seven players would undoubtedly have done a job for another Irish province, but crucially at the time, there were no clear procedures to follow for internal transfers. Nor in fact was there the desire, from either the provinces or the players themselves.

It was such a waste of resources when you look back at it now. David Quinlan would have been a superb addition to the Munster backline and likewise, Eoin Reddan would have settled in well at Leinster. Ian Humphreys could have got the time his game so badly needs at Connacht, while an old head like Shane Byrne would have done an excellent job in Galway. And the waste can only truly be recognised when you look at who the provinces brought in to fill the gaps. For Leo Cullen and Aidan McCullen at Leinster last year, now read Bryce Williams and Cameron Jowitt. The fact that David Quinlan never signed for Munster meant that they had to sign Trevor Halstead, the Springbok centre. Even Connacht had to sign two centres mid-season, Gavin Williams and Andrew Mailei, while a perfectly good one from Leinster went across the water.

It was brain-drain, rugby style.

Tradition is one reason why players haven't switched between the provinces over the years. Munster men naturally baulk at the thought of not only pulling the blue jersey of Leinster, but also of swilling pints of Heino in Kielos and all the rest of the social thing that supposedly goes with playing your rugby at Donnybrook. Likewise, no rugby player from south of the Liffey would be too keen to move down to the sticks and live amongst the country folk.

Ulster, too, wouldn't be the most enticing place for a southerners to play, even if the rugby scene in the province is pretty much divorced from the political one. Still, when you put your boots into your bag and head home for the evening, you're still living in Belfast. And Connacht? Oliver Cromwell's famous saying comes to mind.

Most would choose hell.

It would appear now that the cold realities of professional rugby, and the cold realities of actually wanting to start a game, has softened these ways of thinking. The likes of Keogh and Hogan may get some gentle ribbing from back home but neither will be regarded as a traitor for signing for Leinster. Both are unlikely to usurp those ahead of them at Munster any time soon, so why should they waste the best playing years of their lives on the bench?

And why not take their opportunity at Leinster?

So while attitudes between switching provinces have softened, the mechanics of the move have also been made easier. The Players Advisory Group (PAG), the committee that effectively decides who the provinces sign and for how long, came in for a shed load of criticism last summer when so many players moved outside the country. While it may not have been the PAG's fault directly, the convoluted way in which they went about their business obviously didn't help matters. They had their finger in every pie and it not only slowed any transfer down, their meddling also appeared to greatly bother people. But things have changed. Where before the PAG would have to be directly involved in, and have the final say in, whether a player switched between one Irish province and another, now the provinces have been given permission to bypass the group and talk to each other directly.

"Both the PAG and the provinces have learned from what happened last summer, " says Paul McNaughton, Leinster's Director of Rugby.

"There's an agreed protocol on internal transfers and all four provinces have signed off on it. Basically we're sorting things out between ourselves and things have become a lot more workable."

The signs are there to prove it. As we've mentioned, Keogh has signed, Hogan will do so in the coming days and word is that a couple of Leinster backs are likely to head south in time for the start of next season. "Munster gave us permission to speak to a couple of players and we've given them the go ahead to talk to some of our guys, " says McNaughton. "It just makes sense and while we want to keep certain players at Leinster, we won't stop them moving if that's what they really want."

Of course the likes of Paul O'Connell and Brian O'Driscoll are never likely to switch provinces but for others it makes common sense. Take Kieran Lewis for example, one of the Leinster players you'd imagine Munster have been in contact with. The 25-year-old centre is a terrific footballer, beautifully balanced and has pace to burn but no matter what he does on the pitch, he's never likely to usurp either Brian O'Driscoll or Gordon D'Arcy. And even in the case of injury or poor form from the chosen twosome, Leinster would probably use Shane Horgan in the centre ahead of Lewis. It makes complete sense for the player to move to Munster, a side who've been crying out for backline options over the past four or five years.

Hopefully it happens.

So while the lines of communication are flowing freely between Munster and Leinster, we can't be so sure what's happening between the rest of the provinces. It does appear that Paddy Wallace is going to leave for foreign pastures at the end of the season which would be an incredible waste of resources. Leinster insist they don't, and never have had, any interest in the player but the fact that the Ballymena man probably hasn't even considered heading to Connacht highlights an interesting trend.

Michael Bradley's side are obviously the poor relations of Irish rugby but surely starting for Connacht every week is more enticing than getting splinters stuck on your arse at Munster, Leinster or Ulster.

The case of John O'Connor, the Shannon and Munster flanker speaks volumes. Connacht wanted to bring him to Galway at the start of the season but the player decided to stay at Munster where he's arguably the province's eighth choice back row. There's appears to be no appetite for anyone to join Connacht and if the IRFU have the will, they should find a way to ensure that young players like O'Connor see the westerners as a viable option.

With the internal market about to take-off, it's very important that they do.

TRANSFERS THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE THIS SUMMER Kieran Lewis, Leinster to Munster:

Join the dots on this one. Munster need more depth in their backline, Lewis struggles to get a game at Leinster when all the internationals are available. Makes complete sense.

Paddy Wallace (right), Ulster to Connacht: Eddie O'Sullivan clearly has time for him so surely a switch to Connacht, where he has an opportunity to become the "rst choice number 10, would bene"t everyone.

Gary Brown, Leinster to Munster:

Same theory as the Lewis case.

Brown's pace would be a welcome addition to Munster's backline and would give Declan Kidney a few more options. He's not a bad "nisher either.

Brian O'Riordan, Leinster to Connacht: With Chris Whitaker on the way, O'Riordan needs a fresh challenge. Himself and Paddy Wallace could, potentially, form an exciting and invigorating half-back partnership.

Ciaran Potts, Leinster to Connacht:

Has struggled to regain his Leinster place following injury and may have trouble fending off Stephen Keogh next year. Could lay down a decent marker with guaranteed game time in Galway.