Ulster have not been part of the Champions Cup this season but have impressed in the URC
Andrew Trimble is hopeful there will be more Ulster players in Ireland’s 2026 Six Nations squad than in recent years. There were just three Iain Henderson, Rob Herring and Cormac Izuchukwu in the 2025 equivalent. No Ulster player would start a game in the 2025 tournament.
Those three remain in contention but Ulster’s options are wider and better this time around.
“I think when you look at Zac Ward, when you look at Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney’s been there, thereabouts for a long time,” said former Ireland and Ulster star Trimble. “Tom O’Toole, maybe Scott Wilson looks really good as well, Jude Postlethwaite, I think is someone who may well kick on, but they need to get an opportunity.
“They need to get in the environment, they need to learn from that environment, then they need to upskill and be ready for the demands of international rugby.”
Trimble has no problems admitting he is an Ulster fan, he watches a lot of their games.
“Yeah, I mean, everybody pitches their case. If Munster had won that game against Toulon, if we had got the Munster equivalent of this (praise) after the Croke Park game with Leinster, more people would be listening.
“I’ve spoken to Munster people about all the Munster players that they thought should have started in November. So, maybe Ulster can learn something from that because we’ve got players who are good enough.”
Still, results count and Ulster are not in the Champions Cup this season and need to mount a coherent URC challenge to warrant more consideration.
“Well, the more sustainable Ulster are and the more they can back it up and do it at the business end of the season, then the more likely they’re going to actually break through.
“I don’t think you can have two or three good games and then just say, right, now I’ve arrived. I think you’ve got to back it up, you’ve got to demonstrate that you can sustain this.
“I think a lot of those young Ulster players are certainly getting close to that period where they can be really credible, credibly part of the conversation about Ireland selection.”
