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Sexton to make first pre-season appearance in 12 years at Leinster

(Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Veteran Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton will look to get the show back on the road following his Lions snub by captaining Leinster in Friday night’s pre-season friendly versus Harlequins at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Despite starting in five of the Lions’ six Test matches across the 2013 and 2017 tours in Australia and New Zealand, Sexton fell out of favour with Warren Gatland for this year’s tour to South Africa, the Kiwi selecting Dan Biggar, Owen Farrell and Finn Russell as his three travelling out-halves. 

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Even when there was an injury concern surrounding Russell’s availability, Gatland looked elsewhere and he summoned Test level rookie Marcus Smith to join the tour in Cape Town in early July rather than seek out the services of the far more seasoned Sexton. 

Gatland had claimed in May that there were concerns over Sexton’s durability to play matches over consecutive weekends and this criticism was something the Irishman spoke about recently for the first time, explaining: “At the time I was a little bit going, ‘Wow!’ I had just played four games in the Six Nations.

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Matt Dawson and Mike Brown on their favourite rugby memories

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Matt Dawson and Mike Brown on their favourite rugby memories

“Yes, I had picked up a knock (with Leinster at Exeter in early April). When you are falling down in the tackle and you get a knee in the side of the head it’s nothing you can do or nothing you can control, but it was gutting to hear that (from Gatland) because I worked so hard before the Six Nations, during the Six Nations to stay fit.

“I thought I had proven by playing three 80 minutes in a row by the end, consecutive weeks, that that (durability issue) would maybe be put to bed but look, they went a certain way. I don’t know if that was just something that he said to the media, I’m not sure, but they went a different way and I just had to move on and accept it.”

That acceptance has resulted in Sexton strangely being available to Leinster at the start of a fresh campaign. The IRFU policy has always been to rest their centrally contracted players in the early weeks of a new season. However, such is the changed situation the 36-year-old Sexton now finds himself, he will feature in his first pre-season Leinster friendly since their 2009 Donnybrook clash with London Irish twelve years ago.

He leads an XV that includes new signing Michael Ala’alatoa for his club debut after his arrival from the Crusaders. The other debut-making Leinster starters in a fixture fearturing the reigning PRO14 and Premiership champions are academy players Chris Cosgrave, Rob Russell and Brian Deeny.

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LEINSTER (vs Harlequins, Friday)
15. Chris Cosgrave; 14. Rob Russell, 13. Jamie Osborne, 12. Conor O’Brien, 11. James Lowe; 10. Johnny Sexton (capt), 9. Luke McGrath; 1. Peter Dooley, 2. Dan Sheehan, 3. Michael Ala’alatoa, 4. Devin Toner, 5. Brian Deeny, 6. Rhys Ruddock, 7. Scott Penny,  8. Max Deegan. Reps from: Cian Healy, Sean Cronin, James Tracy, Vakh Abdaladze, Ross Molony, Ryan Baird, Martin Moloney, Cormac Foley, Ross Byrne, David Hawkshaw, Liam Turner, Niall Comerford. 

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith' Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith'
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