Axed Ulster pair facing tough time in exile: Best

FORMER Ulster and Ireland flanker Neil Best believes it will be tough for Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding as they spend the coming days weighing up their next move.

Both men, who were unanimously acquited last month of raping the same woman at Jackson’s home in June of 2016, had their contracts revoked last week following an internal review.

“In arriving at this d e c i s i o n, t he Ir i s h Rugby Football Union and Ulster Rugby acknowledge our responsibility and commitment to the core values of the game: Respect, Inclusivity and Integrity,” read Sat- urday’s statement. Jackson (above, left) has been heavily linked with a move to Exeter Chiefs or Leicester Tigers, although it is understood both have privately put some distance between themselves and the player.

A lucrative switch to France seems most likely, with champions Clermont believed to be in the market for an out-half of Jackson’s skillset. Premiership teams, as well as one in Australia, are also thought to be considering Olding (below, left).

Best, who left Ulster for Northampton Saints in 2008, believes the pair’s next clubs must be considered carefully.

Now Singapore-based, from where he closely monitors Ulster Rugby developments and writes a widely read online blog, Best observed: “Depending on where the two players end up will have a bearing on whether they can reclaim a level of anonymity,”

While that wasn’t the case for Best, who moved to a hotbed of rugby with Northampton, he thinks such a situation would be a welcome change for the men after their months of intense media attention. MANCHESTER City’s Vincent Kompany has already set his sights on retaining their champion status next season.

City won the Premier League title as Manchester United’s shock 1-0 home defeat by West Brom confirmed their rivals as champions.

Jay Rodriguez’s header means second-placed United are now 16 points behind Pep Guardiola’s side with only five games left to play.

Kompany, who will now collect his third Premier League medal, said: “It’s the same feeling as the first time, you can’t describe it.

“The first time you win it, you think you’re going to win all of them, you want to hold on to this feeling.

“I had that feeling when I woke up this morning. West Brom are a good team. As they stick into the game, you realise something could happen, and it’s a wonderful goal from Rodriguez, thank you!

“We all believed in it, otherwise it wouldn’t happen. We needed a period of adaptation... his (Guardiola’s) methods were the right ones, we believed in him.

“Any player playing under him has had success because of the way he has improved them as individuals.”