Punished.

Former Ireland captain Fergus Slattery reckons Paddy Jackson is “getting too much punishment” following the recent sponsor backlash over his move to London Irish.

Cash Converters and Diageo, parent company of Drinks giant Guinness recently pulled their sponsorship of Londons Irish over the signing of the former Ulster outhalf, while Paddy Whiskey are also said to be contemplating pulling the plug with the newly promoted side.

Slattery says he finds the backlash against Jackson a year after his infamous rape trial ‘bizarre’ and thought that it was ‘daft’ that Jackson got more negative attention than the other two men involved in the case.

“Because the guys were deemed innocent, I was very, very disappointed to find out that Diageo were pulling out from London Irish,” said Slattery on Today with Sean O’Rourke on RTE Radio One.

“I still do think that Paddy Jackson is getting too much punishment.”

Former Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan, joined the debate saying that “they have paid their price but you’d just wonder now was the price bigger than they thought.”

“If he leaves London Irish will any club touch him, his career could be in tatters here,” O’Sullivan added