PICS: Jackson And Olding Back In Training Ahead Of Irish Clashes

Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding are both back in training ahead of a new season where they will both play against Connacht.

Olding will face Connacht in a pre-season friendly on Saturday evening in Arnac-Pompadour with his new club CA Brive.

Jackson on the other hand, will face Connacht with his new club Perpignan when they come head to head in Pool 3 of the Champions Cup draw.

Jackson hasn't played a game since June 2017 but his year long break will come to an end on Thursday evening when Perpignan play in a pre-season friendly against Toulouse.

Thousands are expected to flock to the stadium to see Jackson make his debut and he has spoken to French media on numerous occasions since the move about his passion to move on from the trial and restart his career in France.

A crowd of around 8,000 is expected for this evening’s game and with rain forecast for the Catalan city on the Spanish border today, it will make conditions more favourable for rugby this evening.

But the Perpignan squad have had to train early in the morning over the past few weeks in an effort to avoid the daytime temperatures which have soared in the mid-thirties.

Jackson has spoken to French media on a number of occasions since making the move and the 26-year old has expressed a desire to move from the trial which ran for nine weeks earlier this year.

Telling French sports newspaper L’Equipe, Jackson said that :

“I never thought about giving up playing rugby. It’s my passion since I was very small and it’s not in my nature to quit."