AS NICK TIMONEY journeys between Belfast and Dublin through this Six Nations, there must be times when the gap feels larger than the 90 or so miles as the crow flies.

The contrast between the Ireland and Ulster camps at present is stark.

After last weekend’s win over Wales, the national side have won 20 of their last 21 games, the only blemish provided by their World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in Paris last October. 

While in Andy Farrell’s squad for this championship, Timoney hasn’t seen any game-time in green since November 2022 when he scored twice against Fiji in an Autumn international. Back at Ulster, he remains a key cog, but in a side that have lost six of their last nine in a run of results that last week cost head coach Dan McFarland his job.

The 28-year-old, though, say he hasn’t spent much time pondering the contrast. 

“There’s not been a whole lot of time to sit and dwell on things good or bad because when the (Ireland) game is finished we come back here and have our own games to prepare for,” he said ahead of Saturday night’s URC clash against the Dragons at Kingspan Stadium.

I haven’t really been too high or too low because as soon as our game is finished here we go straight back to camp and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind from that point of view, but that’s life isn’t it?

“There are ups and downs and it’s not like I’m in there (Ireland) starting every week and winning every game by 50 points, I’m battling in there to try and train well and try and show the coaches what I can do.

“It’s not like it has been a high and then low, it’s just been keeping my head down and trying to go as hard as I can.”

Arguably Ulster’s most consistent player of a decidedly inconsistent campaign, Timoney of course strives to add to his three Test caps but is realistic enough to know that it is difficult in the extreme to break into a side performing at such a high level.

Timoney has been training with Ireland throughout the Six Nations. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

“Obviously, you’d love to play and it’s a bit disappointing every week as it is so special, and the games are amazing,” said the Dubliner.

“We maybe weren’t the happiest after the weekend for the most part but most of the performances are top. Like we’d love to be slightly more involved than just a few games here and there but at the same time, it’s not like anyone is suffering from my absence so I’m not going in bitter that I’m not playing.

“I’m just working as hard as I can at training and in the games you play for Ulster and hopefully they see you as ready to step up if someone were to have a knock or something were to change.

Frustrating is not the right word because I can’t have any complaints, but you’d love to take that next step certainly.”

While Ulster involvement on the whole has been sparse through the first three rounds of the Six Nations, Timoney does believe the sextet from Ravenhill involved in the wider panel can at least bring something back to a provincial side where confidence and form have both looked absent in recent months.

“The Irish set up is probably the best set up in the world at the moment and that’s pretty clear with the way the team plays every week,” he added.

“If you can get any small bits of that transferred over I think any team in the world would take some aspects of the set up that the Irish team has currently and try and bring it in.

“So, we’re constantly trying to do bits here and there but I think at the same time there’s a balance and you have to have your own way of doing things and you can’t just come and copy every single thing they’re doing down there.

“Certainly it’s (still) a great experience for those of us who are in to just be training.”