Ulster remain confident that key out-half Paddy Jackson will not be following Ruan Pienaar out of the exit door this summer.

The 24-year-old is a free agent at the end of this campaign, with his next deal almost certainly to be a central contract negotiated with the IRFU, but he has been linked with a move to English giants Northampton Saints.

Such a switch is seen as highly unlikely, however, with the belief being that Jackson has little interest in leaving his home province at this present time.

Having shown his international quality on the big stage when Ireland toured South Africa in the summer, he is putting tangible pressure on current key man Jonathan Sexton for the green No.10 jersey for the first time ahead of November's big clash with the All Blacks in Chicago.

With the IRFU already having blocked Ulster's attempts to re-sign Pienaar, Les Kiss could ill-afford to lose another integral player while Ireland saw Sexton's other primary back-up, Ian Madigan, move to Bordeaux during the summer.

Within the last 12 months, plenty of Jackson's Ulster team-mates, including Luke Marshall and Craig Gilroy, attracted interest from the Aviva Premiership before agreeing upon improved terms to extend their stay at the Kingspan Stadium.

Kiss' team to face Ospreys will be revealed this lunchtime.

Belfast Telegraph