"I know everyone talks about getting a quality 10, of an international standard, and you see Dan Carter is top of that list. But that requires a big budget . . . If you can't afford that, then you need to grow your own." - Pat Lam, Connacht coach.

Growing your own Number 10 is as it should be, but every time Johnny Sexton went down in November it dawned on everyone just how important he is to Ireland's World Cup aspirations.

The November 2013 defeat to Australia illustrated it best. A sputtering Ireland went down the tunnel at half-time two tries to nil down yet only 15-12 in arrears. Sexton landed his fourth penalty before limping off. He didn't return. It finished 32-15 to the Wallabies.

Granted, 13 months later, Ian Madigan is a far more reliable alternative but remember Sexton's flawless Springbok display, or Paris last March, or the miraculous European Cup final of 2011.

This is the age of one man. And he’s been concussed four times since March. Until an independent French neurologist says otherwise (how rapidly times have changed), the form of others must be examined.

Main priority

At least there are plenty of options. The current pecking order appears to be: Sexton, Madigan, Ian Keatley and JJ Hanrahan, with Paddy Jackson sliding down the list in recent months. Keeping the 10 jersey off Ian Humphreys back is his main priority at the moment.

All the while, 22-year-old Jack Carty makes genuine progress out west.

Up in Ravenhill on St Stephen’s Day Jackson and Carty provided stark contrast in the development of two home-grown outhalves.

It’s never easy being young and charged with place-kicking, rugby’s ultimate responsibility.

Ulster secured a 13-10 victory over Connacht but Jackson had himself an evening that summed up his season so far, missing two important kicks at goal and shanking or undercooking plenty from hand.

"Jacko has been out for a while so in conditions like that there . . ." Ulster coach Neil Doak went on to blame the ground underfoot. "Jacko kicked, contact wise, pretty well. It's difficult to come back in [after a shoulder injury] but you can see when you get opportunities like that."

The question was framed in the context of Ruan Pienaar's absence after re-damaging knee ligaments torn playing for South Africa in September.

Ulster’s season has yet to recover from that or David Humphreys’ move to Gloucester.

Basically Doak was asked if the inaccuracy of Ulster’s place-kickers (Ian Humphreys has had problems too) was a concern.

“Ian and Ruan in the last couple of weeks missed a few opportunities for us [as well]. It is a key aspect of the game. It is something that the guys work hard at . . . the guys are quality kickers, so you’ve got to make sure when the guys get opportunities that they take them because it gives us a buffer to play with the ball in hand a little bit more.”

All told, it must be argued that Jackson was unnecessarily fast-tracked after Declan Kidney sounded the death knell on Ronan O’Gara’s Ireland career in March 2013.

The edict appeared to have come down from upon high that Jackson would be the Ulster 10, not unlike Jared Payne shifting to centre this season, but the then coach Mark Anscombe needed the guarantee of points so Pienaar took the responsibility.

Jackson has been retained for today’s visit to Dublin alongside a fit-again Pienaar. So, as you were.

This season his form has dipped and, on the same scales, Ian Keatley’s has risen.

Trusted reserve

It leaves Madigan primed to start for Ireland in Rome on February 7th and possibly at home to France a week later, with Keatley a trusted reserve.

Twenty-five now, Madigan has made decent strides in both defence and game-management. The rest of the package was already there. Problem this season has not been the man himself, but circumstance.

Leinster have been shredded by injury right across the backline, forcing him to fill in at centre and fullback, with Jimmy Gopperth blocking his specialist development.

Against Munster last week in Limerick, hey presto, Madigan was wearing 10 again.

“He had some very good touches but some parts of his game he needs to brush up on as it was his first opportunity to play there in a while,” said Richie Murphy, the kicking and skills coach for Leinster and Ireland.

“It’s an important time for Ian. We haven’t had the opportunity to play him there because of the injuries but we are starting to get a few more bodies back on board. It means there is less pressure to play him somewhere else.

“Going forward, there is no reasons why he can’t play more at 10 and make a play for that Irish jersey.”

Murphy is perfectly placed to comment on Madigan’s development.

“He has only played three games at 10 this year. One thing I would say is there’s good signs of him maturing as a player.”

Some men grow up, some grow out. Most importantly of all, as Murphy notes, he is taking heed of the voices that will soon enough go silent.

“He seems to organise the players a little better around him and he’s listening to feedback from those around him, the likes of Darce and others.”

Leinster might not tell us much but they never hand over a compliment to someone who doesn’t deserve it.

No shirking

If Madigan was trying to impersonate a matador at Thomond Park, he failed miserably.

Munster bulls were welcomed down his channel all night long. No shirking, lots of bruising but up he got each time to kick his goals.

Keatley, at 27, shows the value of letting a solid talent evolve naturally, continuing his fine season in Galway last Thursday. The way he judged the howling Sportsground wind makes him a genuine contender now.

Hanrahan must bide his time, like Madigan had to. Jackson missed that opportunity and he’s paying for it.

Another positive in all this is Carty pressing Craig Ronaldson in Connacht.

Another from the Marist College Athlone stable, his Gaelic football style punting is a delight to view when it comes off.

“Even when I put Jack ahead of Dan Parks in one game [last season], I never said he was a better player than Dan Parks. It was all part of his development,” Pat Lam explained.

“The games he has been playing, it takes time to settle. All these runs are all part of his development.

“I know everyone talks about getting a quality 10, of an international standard, and you see Dan Carter is top of that list.”

Possibly the greatest ever. Racing Metro are replacing Sexton with Carter after the World Cup.

“But that requires a big budget. You work your way down, even Jimmy Gopperth, look what he is on, and what Wasps are prepared to pay,” said Lam.

It has been reported as £300,000 (€384,000) a year.

Good stead

“If you can’t afford that, then you need to grow your own,” said Lam. “That’s what we did with Jack and a lot of the other indigenous boys coming through our academy. [Ravenhill] was another opportunity for Jack to come to a pressure environment away to Ulster, like Leinster. It will hold him in good stead as he continues his growth.”

Dropping Jackson into Murrayfield during the Six Nations two years ago, evidently, had the opposite effect.

Considering every other modern Irish outhalf has been mentioned, it’s worth noting that Eric Elwood is around the Sportsground again, working in a grassroots developmental capacity, but a quiet word here and there can only help Carty. As Niall Malone, another former Ireland outhalf working in Doak’s backroom, is surely doing with Jackson.

Point is, and there is a point, the outhalf production line looks healthier than ever before. It’s just a matter of growing them.

Correctly. Maybe a few French or South African scrumhalves are what’s needed to water these precious flowers but that’s robbing Peter to pay Paul. The inherent lack of Irish-born scrumhalves is another day’s digging.