Johnny Sexton says he is ‘good to go’ to lead Ireland in Six Nations

Johnny Sexton has declared he is “good to go” to lead Ireland in their opening 2023 Guinness Six Nations game against Wales in the Principality Stadium on Saturday, February 4th.

Sexton suffered a fracture to his cheekbone in Leinster’s win over Connacht on New Year’s Day, but speaking at the Championship’s launch in central London on Monday, the Irish captain confirmed he will resume full training at the Irish preparatory four-day camp in the Algarve after removing the mask which restricted him to non-contact training last week and this.

“I was training last week, and just had a funny face mask on, So I had to keep that on this week in training and then it comes off next week in training. So good to go next week.”

“When you get injured so close, at the time the European games were at the forefront of my mind, then obviously you figure you’re not going to be able to play in them, the Six Nations then.

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“But from early doors, even just the next day, the surgeon and the doctor, they were fine. They said it was probably the best injury to have on your face, so that was nice to know – ‘If you could pick one bone, pick that one!’”

Sexton will be backed up by Jack Crowley and the recalled Ross Byrne after Joey Carbery was left out of an Irish squad for the first time, when fit, since his debut on the week of his 21st birthday against the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016.

Carbery’s surprise omission was the main talking point from last week’s 37-man squad announcement, and Andy Farrell admitted: “I understand it because it’s not as though he’s been playing poorly. His form has been pretty good, as in he played pretty well yesterday, but there’s been a bit of feedback like we do with a lot of players. He didn’t make the squad, and Joey understands that.

“There’s another guy there, Ross Byrne, who’s been getting feedback for the last couple of years and couldn’t get into the room, and he’s been improving on the things that we’ve been asking of him. So he gets the chance to see whether that can convert on to the international stage, and we know that’s a different level, but he’s earned the right to be able to do that.

“One hundred per cent Joey will be working hard to get back in, and we’ve got Jack Crowley there, who has got a lot of potential going forward, so we need to put a bit of time into him as well.”

[ Joey Carbery facing something of a crossroads after omission from Irish squad ]

When initially asked about his former Lions’ head coach Warren Gatland in light of his first game in his second coming as Wales head coach, Farrell quipped: “Who?”

But he clearly respects the heightened challenge that is now likely to come from Wales in that Championship opener.

“Well obviously all the hype is certainly warranted, pardon the pun, but he’s obviously a serial winner, especially in this competition, and he’ll certainly bring that to his squad and have them ready. Cardiff has always been a difficult hunting ground for us and rightly so.

“It’s one of the hardest places to go in world rugby, so it really doesn’t matter who’s in charge or what type of team they put out there. We all know what playing at home means to them, so therefore it’s a massive task first up but we pride ourselves on getting up to speed as soon as we possibly can and be at our best when it matters.

“So hopefully the occasion and the game will bring the best out in us.”

Ireland go into the Six Nations as the number one ranked side in the world, and Farrell maintained his view from last November that his team should embrace that mantle.

“It means grabbing hold of it and brining it in. It’s just about a realisation of where you’re at again, to improve on what you’re about and trying to achieve. That’s where we want to be. We want to be tested as much as you can, and if you’re up there and playing decent rugby, then people are trying to chase you down. That’s a different type of test for us but it’s something that we want and we’re going to cherish and get after it more.”

[ The rise and rise of Ireland’s next rugby star Jamie Osborne ]

Sexton, meanwhile, has always steadfastly maintained that tackling around the waist can lead to concussions as much as around the midriff or chest, and true to that belief, the Irish captain was steadfastly opposed to the RFU’s decision to introduce waist high tackle being introduced by RFU at community level.

“I don’t agree with it. There’s no point in sitting on the fence really, is there? I just think that you’ve got tall people that play the game, and it should be their decision as to how they tackle. Of course we need to get the head shots out of the game, but I think the tackles we really need to take out of the game are the reckless, out of control, sprinting out of the line, all these type of ones.

“Hitting someone there I don’t think should be an option. It’s not like you can’t get concussed chopping someone’s knees. I see a hell of a lot of concussions from people getting their head on the wrong side, a knee to the temple or a hip even to the side of the head.

“So, I strongly disagree.”