Jacob Stockdale: Farrell’s ‘honesty’ key to Six Nations return for Ulster back

When Jacob Stockdale burst onto the international scene during Ireland’s 2018 Grand Slam-winning campaign, it seemed he was on course to become one of rugby’s biggest stars.

Seven tries during that campaign earned him the Player of the Tournament award, while another later in the year as Ireland beat New Zealand on home soil for the first time cemented those predictions.

However, loss of form and injuries conspired to halt his momentum, with Stockdale dropping down the pecking order and international appearances few and far between since the beginning of the decade. Thursday’s defeat in Paris was his first outing in the Six Nations since 2021.

A corner has been turned recently, however, with the 29-year-old’s form for Ulster earning him the nod to start ahead of James Lowe at the Stade de France, and Stockdale credits the “honest” approach by head coach Andy Farrell whose carrot and stick approach has helped him return to the big stage.

“There are times he hasn’t pulled his punches and told me what he’s thought, but there are other times he has put an arm around me and tried to encourage me,” Stockdale said in the wake of Ireland’s 36-14 loss to start their 2026 campaign.

“He has been brilliant for me and although I’d love to have played every game over the past five years, it’s not how it went.

“The big thing [he told me] was not hold back as the last couple of years I was feeling my way into games a bit. ‘Faz’ always talks about intent and showing that intent from the first minute until the 80th, and I feel I’ve been able to do that a lot more in recent years.”