Johnny Sexton believes Ireland have a 'great system in place'

Amid all the talks of player fatigue among England’s Six Nations fadeout, Ireland’s flyhalf Johnny Sexton believes Ireland has a great system in place for player welfare and success.

Of the back of Ireland’s successful Grand Slam Six Nations campaign, Sexton and several other Leinster based players were rested last weekend in their side’s loss to Ospreys. The extra break will help them freshen up for this weekend’s blockbuster Champions Cup quarter-final against Saracens at the Aviva, expected to be played in front of 50,000.

“I think we’ve got a great system here,” Sexton told the Telegraph.

“I’ve been on the other side of the fence [with Racing 92 in France’s Top 14] and it can be tough when you are trying to do your best for club and country because you’re never going to say no. I remember playing for Racing in the middle of a Six Nations when we were going for a Grand Slam and I had to go and play a game in between those international games. In an ideal world, you don’t have to play those games. Where we really get looked after is during pre-season and leading up to World Cups and stuff. We are very well looked after.”

The concerns over player burnout have been a hot topic of late in English rugby after their worst finish in a Six Nations campaign, sparking a debate over player fatigue. The RFU indicated they wouldn’t be able to look at a centrally contracted system until after 2024. New Zealand-born Wasps midfielder Jimmy Gopperth claimed players are ‘mentally fresher’ under central contracts.

All but four injured players of England’s team that played Ireland were back playing in the Premiership last weekend. Sexton is looking forward to the challenge against Saracens, saying there is no better time to face the back-to-back European champions.

“If you want to win the European Cup again you are going to have to beat Saracens at some stage so there is no better time than to get them at home in the quarter-final.

“It is going to be a huge challenge. I don’t think they will have any fear based on what they achieved last year. The back-to-back champions that they are is a big thing. We know that. They have had a challenging season but they have still got themselves into second in the Premiership and they have still got themselves into a quarter-final in Europe.

“They know if they beat us, they get a home semi-final as well.