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Johnny Sexton gives Ireland a World Cup injury scare


Johnny Sexton (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
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Ireland’s World Cup preparations have encountered a huge injury scare as reports claim that Johnny Sexton, the 2018 World Rugby player of the year, is currently sidelined and unable to take a full part in training. 

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Joe Schmidt’s squad are in Galway for this week, but it appears his star out-half was injured during the two-week training window that took place at Carton House from June 16 to June 28.  

It is reported by the Irish Independent that Sexton dislocated his thumb, an injury that would require between four to six weeks of rehabilitation. 

That time frame would leave him likely to miss Ireland’s first warm-up match for the finals in Japan, the August 10 meeting with Italy in Dublin.  

There are no concerns regarding Sexton’s availability for the tournament, which Ireland kick-off with a fixture versus Scotland on September 22 in Yokohama, but it is a setback that their influential talisman will be absent for some time from the training ground. 

Schmidt chose his 44-strong training squad to prepare for the finals at the end of May and Sexton’s hushed-up injury would have emerged next Friday as Ireland are due to hold a public training session at the Galway Sportsground. 

With Sexton unable to take part in teams runs, opportunity has knocked for his understudies – Joey Carbery, Jack Carty and Ross Byrne – to step up and jockey for position ahead of Ireland’s four-match warm-up campaign.

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After facing the Italians in Dublin, Ireland are due to head to Portugal for some warm-warm-weather training prior to facing England at Twickenham on August 24.

They will then face Wales twice – in Dublin and Cardiff – before heading to Japan with 31 of the 44 players that are in their training squad.

It is expected the IRFU will provide an update on Sexton’s situation at a media session in Galway this Friday.

WATCH: Part one of the two-part RugbyPass documentary on the many adventures that fans experience in Japan at this year’s World Cup 

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Phantom 35 minutes ago
Nations Championship: 'The data shows the north has finally caught up with the south'

Fact: the gap between the North and the South has narrowed considerably - that I get. However, determining that only selecting only Home grown players or playing in the home country is is the optimal strategy is a bit of a toss up and highly reliant on the economies of the home union. I do understand that England and to a lesser degree Ireland selects home based only. The top 14 is a massive threat to their domestic product. France would probably not be affected (the money is at home). Fiji, Argentina, Samoa, Italy and you could even argue Scotland have only benefitted from this. Their players either go overseas to learn at higher levels (Fiji, Samoa, Argentina) or players coming into their leagues to strengthen the home product and their National teams (Scotland, Italy, Japan).

South Africa used to limit its selection to the home based players, but the reality of a weak currency vs what players could earn oversees meant that you lost access to your best players at some stage of their careers, with very few exceptions. Kolbe left SA as he was considered too small for International Rugby (yes coaches/selectors view), but ironically in France he forced selectors to notice his endeavors and select him. He is only reaching 50 caps now despite being north of 30 - granted rotation and the odd injury also played a role, but for the most part it is having debuted or becoming a regular so late.



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