He may not be playing for Ireland on Saturday, but Jonathan Sexton is still at the heart of one of the key debates in French rugby this week, writes MARK RODDEN.
In the wake of their loss to England at Twickenham two weeks ago, French coach Philippe Saint-André lamented the paucity of options he has for the number 10 position.
Next season Sexton is due to swell the ranks of non-native outhalves in the Top 14 and his name is often cited when it comes to the foreign legion’s impact on the French national team.
François Trinh-Duc can certainly relate to the issue. The Montpellier playmaker was well placed to make the number 10 role his own when he scored a try in a win in New Zealand and then, as a 23-year-old, helped lead France to the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2010.
Trinh-Duc has had an up-and-down career since then, however, with injuries, a loss of form and concerns over his kicking game all contributing to his slightly diminished reputation. Indeed, judging by how the French lined out at a public training session on Tuesday, he could well find himself usurped once again by Freddie Michalak in Dublin.
The 26-year-old has already had plenty of tussles with Sexton at club and international level, and he feels his Irish counterpart’s impending transfer is a positive move for French rugby.
Play in league
“It’s good for the French championship that great number 10s like Sexton are coming to play in the league,” Trinh-Duc said. “It’s a good thing for me. It means that it’s a bit like I’m playing a world championship in the Top 14, playing against all the best players.”
Some people see Sexton’s proposed move as a blow to Jonathan Wisniewski, the Racing Metro outhalf who has already had to compete with the likes of Juan Martin Hernandez, Andrew Mehrtens and South African World Cup winner François Steyn for a place in the Parisian club’s starting line-up. At 27, Wisniewski is the same age as the Leinster number 10. Were it not for some bad luck with injuries – and perhaps without so much foreign competition – he would undoubtedly have gone further by now than reaching the fringes of the French squad.
The counter argument is that top-quality signings like Sexton and Jamie Roberts can only drive on the French players at Racing. Maxime Machenaud, the man who Sexton will most likely play alongside next season, appeared genuinely excited at the prospect of calling the three-time European Cup winner a teammate. “Of course,” the Racing scrumhalf said. “It’s always enjoyable to play with a player like that. He’s someone who’s a bit of a world star.
Leaving his homeland
“He’s managed to play quite well for Ireland and he’s young too – I think he’ll bring a lot to the team at Racing.
“I saw that he didn’t play against Scotland,” he said. “It’s really not the same team if Sexton isn’t there.”
Trinh-Duc hopes the seniors will rediscover their spark at Lansdowne Road. “Obviously it’s not the best of situations in which to go and take on Ireland over there. So this week we’ve been trying to find a lot of cohesion and concentration and trying not to lose confidence in ourselves and our project.
“We saw that that we were able to create chances when we play our rugby, and we have to continue to have ambitions like that. We can’t lose track like we did in England. Little by little we lost our way in that match. They got ahead with a bit of a stupid try but they got in front by staying true to their game plan.”
Jackson passed fit Likely to start
Both outhalves selected for Ireland's game against France in Dublin on Saturday, Paddy Jackson and Ian Madigan, trained yesterday as part of the Irish squad's normal kicking routine.
The two took part in the session with assistant coach Mark Tainton at the Aviva Stadium and Jackson came through as expected. The Ulster 21-year-old will train fully with the squad tomorrow.
Jackson had pulled up in training during the week with a tight hamstring and although medical staff with the Irish team said he would play on Saturday, there was an element of doubt and coach Declan Kidney did not name him in the squad on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
It is likely Jackson will now start the match with Leinster's Madigan on the bench as cover.
Meanwhile, Italy captain Sergio Parisse will be available to face England at Twickenham on Sunday and Ireland the following week after having a ban was reduced by 10 days.
