Casey relishes ‘brilliant experience’ of teaming up with Sexton in packed Aviva

In many ways there was not a lot to write home about in Ireland’s staccato romp home against Italy. Sure there were 50-plus points but also a lot of things to get right before England in two weeks’ time.

The things that did not go as they should have against 13, and then at the end 12, Italian players became as much the features of a one-sided match as the stacked up tries and bonus.

Craig Casey, who came on in the second half to replace Jamison Gibson-Park and play out the last 30 minutes or so, caught one of the moments of the day as he teamed up with Johnny Sexton for an impressive little cameo.

The 22-year-old Munster scrumhalf is one of the younger players in the squad. But following the IRFU’s condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine before the game, which received sustained applause, Casey along with his delight in playing, was able to look at the bigger picture.

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“Yeah I loved it,” he said. “Every chance you get to put on an Irish jersey . . . Look I was delighted to get on especially with everything that’s going on in the world at the moment you got to enjoy it, enjoy putting on that Irish jersey. So I love it that I was able to get out there.”

It was also Casey’s first time playing alongside the Irish captain in a crowded Aviva Stadium. The former Irish under-20 had four Irish caps before yesterday’s experience.

‘Unbelievable leadership’

“Yeah, it definitely is [an experience],” said Casey. “I had the chance to play with him on my debut. But it was definitely my first time in front of a full crowd here.

“It’s a brilliant experience. Obviously growing up, Johnny was one of the players I was looking at and wanting to play inside all your teenage years and getting the chance to do it is unbelievable.

“He’s quality, like. His leadership is unbelievable, he’s an unbelievable player. It was great to get a chance to play with him and show what I can do for him.”

Coach Andy Farrell said he was pleased with the way Casey and Sexton linked up when they came on. The view from the stand was of Sexton the headmaster returning to the school with Casey the head boy doing everything at a pleasing tempo and efficiency.

“I haven’t spoken to him [Farrell] one on one yet about my performance, he just said well done,” said Casey, who has been trying to curb the frantic moments of his game. “He’s delighted with the five points, obviously, but he knows we have loads to work on as well.

“I was happy enough with how it went. It wasn’t perfect and our team performance wasn’t perfect either, but it will be good to go back and look at the game and take what we can from it.

“I’m loving the environment. It’s a great place to be. It’s an absolute honour to be in camp and put on the jersey, especially like I said with everything going on. So absolutely loving it and trying to get better every single day. It’s a great squad to be a part of.”

Changing landscape

The Irish squad now have a down week before travelling to Twickenham with hopes that the championship will still be alive for winning, when they play Scotland in Dublin on St Patrick’s weekend.

It is a changing landscape in the team, with Farrell having to make calls in the centre with Bundee Aki back as well as backrow possibilities and plucking two names from Gibson-Park, Casey and Conor Murray. There will be some disappointment. But Casey hopes he did enough yesterday to not make it his.

“Oh, of course, you’re hoping to be involved every week,” he says. “It’s just what the coaches think, if they think I can bring what they want to the game hopefully I’ll be involved.

“But there’s two other class nines in the squad as well, so it’s definitely heated competition. We’ll see what happens.”

Fighting talk that would probably not have been heard 12 months ago.