Bernard Jackman: ‘In France, there is so much politics involved and guys there for selfish reasons’

Bernard Jackman could give you any number of reasons as to why he accepted the offer to coach the Newport Gwent Dragons.

The wooing from Warren Gatland and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) helped and there was the style with which the Scarlets won the Guinness PRO12 and the understanding that there was an inherent talent for attacking rugby throughout Wales.

There was the none-too-small realisation that his kids had been living away from Ireland for five years while he built his coaching career in Grenoble and that this was an opportunity to locate everybody closer to home.