The ‘bigger picture’ Bernard Jackman sees in the Six Nations as non-Leinster provinces could get ‘massive boost’
Jude Postlethwaite in action for Ulster and former Ireland player Bernard Jackman.
Bernard Jackman believes that there could be an intriguing subplot to the Ireland squad announcement for the upcoming Six Nations Championship.
Andy Farrell will name his wider training group for the annual international tournament later this month as they look to bounce back from last year’s mediocre performance, where they finished in third.
There have been accusations of Leinster bias towards Farrell in his selections, as well as the Irish Rugby Football Union, but 2026 could mark a change in his thinking.
Leo Cullen’s men have not exactly convinced this season, while many of their star players are now the wrong side of 30.
Ulster’s improvement
Ulster, meanwhile, appear to be on the rise and have a number of players knocking on the door of international selection.
They may not be in line for a starting spot just yet but, if they can perform in camp, Farrell may well be forced to field them in the Six Nations.
Should those individuals then become firmly established in the XV, a central contract may be in the offing to potentially end the Leinster dominance.
“There’s a bigger picture to this,” former Ireland hooker Jackman said on the RTE Rugby podcast. “There are some fans saying: ‘I don’t care about getting players into the Irish squad, all I care about is my province’.
“But if some of those Ulster players can get into the squad and then they can displace the current internationals, there are central contracts in the equation in a year or two years time.
“What does that do for Ulster or Munster or Connacht if they get more internationals? It changes the dynamic of the spend that they have, which they can put back into their own squads.
“If you look at the age profile, let’s take [Jude] Postlethwaite as an example. He looks like he has huge potential. I’m not writing off [Stuart] McCloskey, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw or Bundee Aki, but at some stage those that are on central contracts are going to lose it because they’re going to retire.”
Undervalued Irish provinces
The next year or two leading into the the 2027 Rugby World Cup, as well as what happens after it, could be vital for the game in Ireland.
Particularly for Munster, Connacht and Ulster, who have perhaps felt undervalued by the IRFU over recent times, and Jackman insists that they have the chance to even up the playing field.
“If an Ulster player, or a Munster or Connacht player, is in a position to be good enough to step up and take that central contract, which has historically been in Leinster, that’s a massive boost,” he added.
“On the field, you have a seasoned international but secondly you’re only paying a percentage or their salary and that helps then to bring through the next generation.
“It’s been very lopsided, all the central contracts have been in Leinster, but that’s something the Ulster bean counters will be looking at and getting excited about.”
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