“You can react or respond in many different ways, but at least Ross has a big game in front of him this weekend and he’s got something that’s very much in his control. So he can go out and control and prepare as well as he possibly can to give himself the best chance of playing well.

Then he’s ready and available if something happens to someone else (with Ireland). He just needs to put himself in the situation where he’s the next best person so that, whatever opportunities arise or whatever situation has changed in terms of the selection call from the national management, then he leaves himself best set.

Byrne won’t be alone in seeking to make a point to the national coaching ticket this weekend.

Schmidt name-checked close to 30 players who didn’t make the 38-man squad earlier this week and most will be in action for the provinces over this two-day period.

All told, 19 of the 26 players name-checked but ultimately left out by Schmidt earlier this week will be turning out for the four Irish sides in Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixtures against English and French opposition.

Byrne was probably the most notable of those to miss out given he was used twice in November and travelled to Australia as third-choice out-half last summer.

Schmidt opted for Jack Carty instead and Cullen feels being overlooked will make his man all the hungrier down the line.

And he should know better than most.

It took the Leinster boss a full decade to collect 32 caps, 17 of them coming off the bench, so he feels there is little to be gained from “moping around and feeling sorry for yourself” when the call doesn’t come.

That said, absorbing the blow isn’t straightforward. “You need to be careful who you listen to. Some people will give you sympathy. Again, that will only get you so far, so you need to be careful who you are listening to. Ultimately you have to go out and perform and play better. There’s no point feeling sorry for yourself as it’s not going to get you very far.”