Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Why Paul O'Connell is confident about Ireland minus Johnny Sexton

By PA
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Paul O’Connell has no reservations about the possibility of Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley or Ciaran Frawley starting a Rugby World Cup match in place of influential Ireland captain Johnny Sexton.

ADVERTISEMENT

Suspension has ruled fly-half Sexton out of his country’s warm-up matches against Italy, England and Samoa, leaving a trio of inexperienced understudies vying to stake their claim for the role.

Frawley remains uncapped at international level, while his Leinster teammate Byrne and Munster man Crowley have just four Test starts between them.

Video Spacer

The Bunker explained in rugby

Video Spacer

The Bunker explained in rugby

Veteran Sexton will complete his three-match ban in time to feature in Ireland’s World Cup opener against Romania on September 9 but he is short of match fitness having not played since March due to injury.

Although forwards coach O’Connell acknowledged that the stand-in options are Test rookies, he would back each of them to perform on the biggest stage if required.

Related

“I’d be confident in all of them,” he said ahead of Saturday’s Dublin clash with Italy. “One of the strengths we have is that we have good clarity on how we are trying to play the game and the players have to take ownership of that clarity quite a lot. You do figure out a guy that is unsure very, very quickly.

“But all of our guys know how we want to play. They don’t have as much practice at it or as much experience as Johnny has of taking ownership of it but that is why these few weeks will be great for them.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We play differently to Munster and to Leinster and the guys that are there but there are a lot of similarities as well so it’s nothing massively new to them.

“They have all driven the ship for their provinces in big, big games and done really well. There is a little bit of a tweak to how we do things and they have got to pick that up.”

Sexton’s last competitive action was four and a half months ago when he limped off with a groin issue during Ireland’s Grand Slam-clinching win over England.

The 38-year-old, who has 113 caps for his country, has been training fully with Andy Farrell’s 42-man preliminary squad this summer ahead of his last competition before retirement.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ireland’s selection is due to be cut to a final 33 on August 28 and O’Connell has urged those who do miss out to not feel too disheartened. “It’s not all or nothing,” said the 43-year-old, who represented Ireland at four World Cups between 2003 and 2015.

“You hope that by being in here, training with us, training with good players, that players are improving and they are looking at their opportunity to get a chance, to try to get picked for the World Cup and, if they don’t, that they break in in the future.

“They all want to go to the World Cup for sure, but selection for the World Cup is not an all-or-nothing thing. I’m sure plenty of guys are going to be disappointed.

“They have their sights set on getting their chances and taking it but I think they’re all going to be better on the back of this pre-season.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Wolfhounds vs Gwalia | Celtic Challenge 2024/25 | Match Highlights

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 2 | Ireland Week

New Zealand vs Australia: Behind the Scenes with the Black Ferns Sevens Team | HSBC SVNS Embedded | E06

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 1

Argentina v Australia | HSBC SVNS Perth 2025 | Men's Final Match Highlights

The Dupont Ploy: How France went from underdogs to Olympic gods | The Report

Former rugby player is truly an NFL superstar | Walk the Talk | Jordan Mailata

Boks Office | Episode 33 | Dupont's Toulouse Too Good

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

N
Nategift2312 15 minutes ago
Wales slump to record low in world rankings

i want to share to the whole world how Dr masako the Great of all the Spell Caster, that helped me reunite my marriage back, my Ex Husband broke up with me 3months ago, I have been trying to get him back ever since then, i was worried and so confused because i love him so much. I was really going too depressed, he left me with my kids and just ignored me constantly. I have begged him for forgiveness through text messages for him to come back home and the kids crying and miss their dad but he wont reply, I wanted him back desperately. we were in a very good couple and yet he just ignores me and get on with his life just like that, so i was looking for help after reading a post of Dr masako on the internet when i saw a lady name SHARRON testified that Dr masako cast a Pure love spell to stop divorce. and i also met with other, it was about how he brought back her Ex lover in less than 24 hours at the end of her testimony she dropped his email, I contacted Dr masako via email and explained my problem to Dr masako and he told me what went wrong with my husband and how it happen, that he will restored my marriage back, and to my greatest surprise my Ex husband came back to me, and he apologized for his mistake, and for the pain he caused me and my children. Then from that day our marriage is now stronger than how it was before, Dr masako you’re a real spell caster, you can also get your Ex back and live with him happily: Contact Email doctormasako@gmail.com or Call/whatsapp +2349047144277

 

0 Go to comments
N
Nategift2312 15 minutes ago
Wales slump to record low in world rankings

i want to share to the whole world how Dr masako the Great of all the Spell Caster, that helped me reunite my marriage back, my Ex Husband broke up with me 3months ago, I have been trying to get him back ever since then, i was worried and so confused because i love him so much. I was really going too depressed, he left me with my kids and just ignored me constantly. I have begged him for forgiveness through text messages for him to come back home and the kids crying and miss their dad but he wont reply, I wanted him back desperately. we were in a very good couple and yet he just ignores me and get on with his life just like that, so i was looking for help after reading a post of Dr masako on the internet when i saw a lady name SHARRON testified that Dr masako cast a Pure love spell to stop divorce. and i also met with other, it was about how he brought back her Ex lover in less than 24 hours at the end of her testimony she dropped his email, I contacted Dr masako via email and explained my problem to Dr masako and he told me what went wrong with my husband and how it happen, that he will restored my marriage back, and to my greatest surprise my Ex husband came back to me, and he apologized for his mistake, and for the pain he caused me and my children. Then from that day our marriage is now stronger than how it was before, Dr masako you’re a real spell caster, you can also get your Ex back and live with him happily: Contact Email doctormasako@gmail.com or Call/whatsapp +2349047144277 Visit his Website:  https://doctormasako2.wixsite.com/drmasakospelltemple  

 

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Ardie Savea factor in full effect at Moana Pasifika Ardie Savea factor in effect at Moana Pasifika
Search