Bernard Jackman is confident Andy Farrell will sign a contract extension as Ireland head coach after coming within a whisker of leading his team to an unlikely Six Nations Championship.
After a rocky start in Paris, where indifferent November form carried into the opening round of the tournament, Ireland bounced back to record four successive wins, where commanding victories at Twickenham and at home to Scotland on the final day secured a Tripe Crown and in the process dramatically altered the mood music surrounding the team.
Farrell's current deal runs until after the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but has been linked with other roles, most notably the England position currently held by Steve Borthwick, and a possible return to Saracens.
Speaking after the victory over Scotland, the 50-year-old was giving little away regarding his future with the IRFU.
"We’ve already spoken about having a conversation. That won’t be too far away, so we’ll see how that goes," he said.
Speaking on this week’s RTÉ Rugby podcast, former Ireland and Leinster hooker Jackman said he was in "no doubt" that Farrell, with more of a pep in his step following his latest piece of silverware, will commit to a new deal.
Following a "patchy" Autumn and the below-par display against France, Jackman says the manner in which the team has responded illustrates that Farrell is still able to get a tune of the group of players.
"He wants to be building something that is spectacular, that’s exciting," Jackman said.
"He saw improvement against Italy, then that huge emotional outburst against England because he knew how important that game was. He’ll be reviewing the Six Nations this week with his coaches and they will see so many positives.
"They will see Ireland finding the way they want to play again, they’ll see the work-rate and intent has gone up massively, more squad depth and the likes of Caelan Doris, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong back to their best.
"That’s down to him. He’s managed that, whether it took a bollocking after France, but it also took giving the players the right tactical and technical messages to go and be very close to a championship.
"I have no doubt he’ll sign his contract. He’s now invigorated by this challenge again because he sees players who respond to him."
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