Nick Timoney backed for Ireland call by Ulster's Dan McFarland plus Steven Kitshoff 'threat' praise

Timoney has scored five tries in his last three games as a resurgent Ulster beat Top 14 leaders Racing 92 to put themselves in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages in Europe.

Single-point victories over Connacht and Leinster in the festive derbies moved the Kingspan Stadium club into the top four of the United Ruby Championship at the halfway stage of the season as the fight for a home quarter-final intensifies.

The last of Timoney’s three Ireland caps came against Fiji in an autumn Nations Cup clash back in November 2022 and, despite scoring two tries, the versatile back row hasn’t added to his international appearances.

Timoney recently expressed interest in representing Ireland at the Paris Olympics in the Summer in Rugby 7s.

But with only two European games before Andy Farrell picks his Six Nations squad, McFarland feels it would be hard to ignore the in-form Dubliner.

“He’s been so good for us, he’s really consistent, so powerful,” stated McFarland. “On the ball...excellent, defensively...a really good tackler, a very strong guy.

“He’s got to be there or thereabouts and he has been and I know Andy has been thinking about him.”

McFarland revealed as well as Timoney’s ability to play all three positions he has another string to his bow.

“He played hooker in a pre-season game for us, he has covered hooker for us this year, we have gone to a number of games without a 24th man,” said McFarland. “He is a ferocious scrummager and his throwing is actually pretty good, he could be a really good hooker.

“He would say seven (openside flanker) suits him.

"He gets through a lot of work at seven makes a lot of tackles, I don’t want to pigeon-hole him.

"I think that is one of his big strengths is that he is very versatile and he works in the lineout for us as well.”

McFarland also had praise for another of Ulster’s forwards after the win at the RDS on New Year’s Day – Steven Kitshoff.

The World Cup-winning South African prop lost on his first three appearances in an Ulster shirt but has put a big shift in during the current run of three victories and solidified the scrum.

“He’s a double World Cup winner so he lands with a huge amount of creditability full stop,” said McFarland. “He spoke to us at a scrum meeting two weeks ago.

"And he was very specific about what he said and it really hung in the air with the lads...I thought that was excellent.

“It is his stuff around the park.

“He carries well, he is involved in really good defensive plays and he is always a jackal threat.

“He just moves really well around the park and he is not afraid of saying it how it is.

"If things need changed or somebody needs to do something he’ll point it out.

“He’s a double World Cup winner and he has captained a URC-winning team.

"Steven is a top man and he is adding a lot of value.”