Billy Bohan's call-up to the Ireland squad for this year's Guinness Six Nations may have been prompted by an injury crisis among the class of props, but Bernard Jackman believes it was only going to be a matter of time before the Connacht player would have graduated to senior international level.
Andy Farrell called up the 20-year-old on Sunday after Jack Boyle suffered an injury that will rule the Leinster prop out of the Six Nations.
As a result, Bohan will forgo involvement in the Ireland XV side's Thomond Park clash with England next month, and will instead link up with the full squad for their training camp in Portugal this week.
Speaking to RTÉ's Inside Sport, Jackman shared an insight into Bohan's development.
"He's baby-faced but he's developed physically," he said.
"I would've seen a lot of him in school playing for Newbridge College. He was a very good schoolboy.
"Connacht spotted that talent and made him an offer to go down there and be part of their academy.
"He's developed himself physically no end. He's baby-faced but he's got a really strong physique now and it's obviously going to get better.
"And Andy Farrell mentioned there that he's come from good stock and he mentioned his grandfather."
Jackman added that there was plenty of sporting pedigree on both sides of his family, notably including grandfather Mick Doyle, who served as head coach of Ireland from 1984 to 1987.
Meanwhile, contemporaneously on the pitch, Bohan stood out as a front row starter for Connacht in their inter-pro defeat to Leinster at the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday.
"He's a very talented player as Andy said. He got picked to play on Saturday night by Stuart Lancaster ahead of Denis Buckley and Peter Dooley who have both have more than 100 games as professionals, and that's a big statement," Jackman added.
"He actually more than held his own. He was quite dominant. So he has got selected on the basis of some misfortune for others.
"But yet you could also say he's just been fast-tracked, that he was going to get there anyway and I'd say he's absolutely loving the opportunity to go out and be part of the preparations for France (on) Thursday week."
