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'If I told Johnny that he's going into a game to play second fiddle, he'd think I'd gone mad'
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton expects to be fit to lead his country into a new era under head coach Andy Farrell.
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Sexton’s participation in the Guinness Six Nations had been in doubt due to a knee injury suffered playing for Leinster in early December.
But the fly-half is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery and should take part in a training session on Thursday in Portugal ahead of the tournament opener on February 1 at home to Scotland.
“Everything’s been going to plan, so hopefully I can take full part in training (on Thursday),” Sexton said.
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WATCH: Andy Goode and Brendan Venter didn’t hold back on this weeks pod as they discussed Saracens and the salary cap scandal.
“If anything a little bit ahead of schedule and if everything goes smoothly over the next few days, I should be fine and available for selection next week.”
Sexton was last week named successor to retired former skipper Rory Best when Farrell announced his 36-man squad for the championship.
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The 34-year-old was proud to be selected for the role but accepts it may only be a short-term appointment.
“I think everyone would want to be captain but it’s about someone wanting you to do it,” he said.
Wayne Pivac and captain Alun Wyn Jones today revealed details of the key role Sam Warburton has been given in this season’s #SixNations championship defence ???????#GuinnessSixNations https://t.co/MSPGso3Zah
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 22, 2020
“That’s the biggest honour you can be asked to do and it meant a lot that Andy asked me to do it, that he thought I was the one to lead us forward into this campaign.
“It’s obviously a campaign-by-campaign thing at the moment and we’ll see how we go.”
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With seemingly positive news on Sexton’s availability, Farrell is now waiting on the fitness of Jordan Larmour.
Leinster wing Larmour sustained a foot injury during Saturday’s Champions Cup win at Benetton.
“We met up (on Tuesday) and had a bit of a walk-through so he was able to partake in that,” Farrell said.
No dramas mate.
– @chrisjonespress reporting from the #GuinnessSixNations launch #SixNations #EnglandRugby https://t.co/a0rxexszwP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 22, 2020
“We’ll have to take it day by day. We don’t think it’s anything too serious but how that’s going to play out in the next few days, we’ll have to wait and see.”
After a difficult 2019 which included a disappointing Six Nations campaign and defeat in the World Cup quarter-finals, Ireland are rebuilding under Farrell.
The 44-year-old has stepped up from defence coach to succeed Joe Schmidt.
Farrell believes patience will be required during the transitional phase but admits results remain of paramount importance and want his squad to hit the ground running.
Asked what he hoped to achieve in the forthcoming tournament, he replied: “Progressing our game, winning – it matters, we won’t shy away from that.
“If I told Johnny that he’s going into a game to play second fiddle and come away with a loss, he’d think I’d gone mad.
“We want to win but at the same time we want to develop our game and keep on improving.
“Certain aspects will take a little bit of time but at the same time we expect to perform.”
Meanwhile, Farrell feels Eddie Jones can use Saracens’ imminent relegation from the Premiership following of a breach of salary cap rules to galvanise England.
Farrell’s son Owen captains England and is one of seven Sarries players in Jones’ squad for the Six Nations.
“As far as players are concerned, they have a lot of ups and downs to deal with every week,” said the senior Farrell, who will face England on February 23 at Twickenham.
“When you make the change into another environment, I think that’s going to be really refreshing.
“I see Eddie using it to galvanise England a little bit as well.”
“I have not got an opinion because you understand as a parent it is sensitive anyway. There is a lot of questions still to be asked and answered you know so, I don’t think they have got all the facts together yet of what that future looks like.
“I am sure that will come out in the not too distant future. I suppose I will have an opinion then.”
PA
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments