The 21-year-old was one of four fly-halves named in Ireland 39-man squad for the RBS 6 Nations, and after leading his club side Ulster to a dream start to the season, he looks set to do battle with Ronan O’Gara for a bench spot behind Jonathan Sexton.

Against Fiji in the autumn, Ireland strolled to a 53-0 win in an uncapped international, with Jackson racking up five conversions and a penalty while his Ulster teammate Craig Gilroy picked up a hat-trick.

And after a taste of the biggest stage, the former Ireland Under-20s skipper admits he is desperate for more.

He said: “Ireland is always in the back of your mind but you know with the likes of Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara, there are two guys with a lot of experience.

“It’s about making sure I take any opportunities I get and trying to play as well as I can in the camp.

“I didn’t really know what to expect from international rugby before that Fiji game but we played really well and they didn’t score, so I guess you can’t ask for much more.

“There are a lot of experienced guys in there, so it’s quite tough to start off. But you just have to get used to being vocal and speaking up, especially as a fly-half.”

Jackson is no stranger to the big stage, having become first choice for midway through last season before getting the nod for the Heineken Cup final back in May.

That, coupled with his experience in the green of the Under-20s, where he led Ireland to third place in the RBS 6 Nations last year, missing out on a potential Grand Slam with defeat to England in the final game, has given Jackson the confidence to take a more prominent role this term.

He added: “I’ve been resting up my ankle because of a knock I got last week but it’s been a great season so far.

“Getting the games that I did last year was great for me. I’m still growing as a player, and every opportunity on a stage like that helps my development.

“From an Ireland perspective it helped me get that first taste in the autumn, but now I really want to get that first full cap.

“The camp gives me the opportunity to spend a bit more time getting used to playing with guys who I play against most weeks.

“It was a really good autumn for Ireland though, so we will be looking to build on that.”