Jonny Sexton is 50-50, at best, to play against France at the weekend, although he hasn’t yet run in anything other than a straight line and hasn’t kicked a ball since his Grade Two hamstring tear occurred against England in the opening match of the Six Nations Championship.
The outhalf is four weeks into an injury that conventional wisdom says takes six to clear, the management and Sexton weighing up the price of getting back quickly but not with such indecent haste that it may jeopardise rugby appointments further down the line.
In the secondrow Munster’s Donnacha Ryan didn’t train yesterday and while his progress has been good, he also remains doubtful for the arrival of the French this weekend. His colleague at lock, Mike McCarthy, is faring better and trained yesterday. Subject to have having no adverse reaction to that he should be available.
Try scorer last time out, Craig Gilroy, is also struggling with a groin injury and the Ulster man is a concern but despite that small group of maybes and ifs, coach Declan Kidney will announce the Irish squad today at lunchtime as planned.
At full speed
“Tomorrow (today) he will run at full speed,” said manager Mick Kearney on Sexton’s recovery. “He’s done no kicking and hasn’t run anywhere near full out. If he can do that then he will do kicking on Wednesday or Thursday.”
Ian Madigan’s elevation to the squad should please his large rump of supporters, although Kidney is likely to start with Paddy Jackson as his kicking returned to normal with Ulster at the weekend.
The Irish coach had considered Dungannon-born Exeter Chief, Gareth Steenson, a former Irish underage outhalf and consistent kicker, as well as Munster’s Ian Keatley but stuck with Madigan on form.
Out of view
“In terms of the direct window here we’ve focused on Johnny, Paddy, ROG and Ian Madigan,” said assistant coach Les Kiss, partly it seems because Steenson is out of view in more way than one.
“I guess the key process has been the guys we have had in front of us at the camps. Is he sat there right in front of us in terms of ‘there he is’ no. But he has been discussed at times for sure,” added Kiss. There was an early career point where Madigan’s confidence stretched to bravado. But swagger is the self sustaining fuel that some outhalfs need to get out of bed in the mornings. Even tighthead props know that.
“He’s a very confident young fella. He plays the game very well,” said Mike Ross. “I wind Jonny up saying he (Madigan) is Carlos Spencer to his Andrew Mehrtens, you know? That doesn’t go down too well with him. But he is a good, play-making outhalf and he’s also been kicking very well so it’s not just the one string to his bow.
“I think any outhalf needs a degree of confidence, especially young outhalves,” added the prop. “I don’t know a single out-half that isn’t confident. They wouldn’t make it this far if they weren’t.”
