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Johnny Sexton recalled as Ireland name team with six changes

(Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Johnny Sexton was given further cause to celebrate this week after he was restored to the Ireland No10 jersey on Thursday when Andy Farrell named a team to play England that shows six changes from the 57-6 round three Guinness Six Nations win over Italy. The veteran Irish skipper agreed to a new deal on Tuesday that will take him through to the 2023 World Cup in France, by which stage he will be aged 38 and ready to retire at the top.

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Now he has retaken the starting out-half berth from Joey Carbery, who had worn the jersey for two consecutive Six Nations matches after Sexton has tweaked a hamstring in the lead-up to the round two game in Paris.

Sexton is one of four changes to the Ireland backline from the win over Italy as Hugo Keenan, Andrew Conway and Bundee Aki respectively come in for Michael Lowry, Mack Hansen and Robbie Henshaw at full-back, right wing and inside centre.

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Freddie Burns and Ollie Lawrence join the podcast! | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 24

With Max unavailable this week, Freddie Burns steps into the breach to join Ryan and special guest Ollie Lawrence. Freddie gives us his take on Leicester’s strong start to the season and what makes him the ultimate stand-in superstar. Ollie talks us through his relationship with Eddie Jones and how his career could easily have taken a different turn. We get the guys’ best MLR impressions and Freddie asks the question every rugby player poses when watching football.

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Freddie Burns and Ollie Lawrence join the podcast! | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 24

With Max unavailable this week, Freddie Burns steps into the breach to join Ryan and special guest Ollie Lawrence. Freddie gives us his take on Leicester’s strong start to the season and what makes him the ultimate stand-in superstar. Ollie talks us through his relationship with Eddie Jones and how his career could easily have taken a different turn. We get the guys’ best MLR impressions and Freddie asks the question every rugby player poses when watching football.

In the pack, the seasoned Cian Healy takes over at loosehead from the injured Andrew Porter while James Ryan returns to the second row in place of Ryan Baird. The back row remains the same from the Azzurri match, Peter O’Mahony holding on at blindside and Caelan Doris chosen again at No8 to keep Lions Test series starter Jack Conan rooted to the bench.

The demoted Carbery and Henshaw will keep Conan company in the replacements, as will the recalled Iain Henderson and Conor Murray, two more of the Warren Gatland’s 2021 Lions tourists. Kieran Treadwell and Craig Casey drop out.

Related

Ireland team (vs England, Saturday)
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 18 caps
14. Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 29 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 35 caps
11. James Lowe (Leinster) 10 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 103 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 15 caps
1. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 114 caps
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 5 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 55 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 28 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 42 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 82 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 38 caps
8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 15 caps

Replacements
16. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 24 caps
17. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 46 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 21 caps
19. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 66 caps
20. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 25 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 94 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 30 caps
23. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 55 caps

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TI 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Rieko took literally years to turn from a defensive liability at 13 into a guy, who’s defensively sound as it befits the position. And it all came at the cost of him being much less of an offensive threat, than what he used to be. Proctor is a natural 13, he handles, passes, and kicks way better than Rieko ever will, he just isn’t as fast.


It’s unfair to judge Tupaea on the handful of games he’s had in 2022 before he got nearly crippled by a Wallaby lock. What could Tupaea/Proctor pairing be, if they got the same amount of chances as Jordie/Rieko?


Because no matter how you spin it, playing a player outside of his natural position is a poor asset management. No matter how talented he is, he still competes against players who had years and years of practice at the position. And if said guy is so talented that he actually CAN compete against specialists, imagine how much better still he could have been, if he had all those years to iron the toothing issues at the position. It just drives me mad.


Two things I hate in rugby union beyond description: aping after league, and playing players outside of their natural position. Especially considering, that they all admit they hate it, when they’re allowed to speak freely. Owen Farrell spent 80% of his international career at 12, saying every time when asked, that he is a 10 and prefers to play at 10. Those players are literally held at a gunpoint: play out of position, or no national jersey for you.

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