Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has defended flyhalf Johnny Sexton amid concerns that the Ireland captain’s age is starting to show.
Farrell has no concerns about the 37-year-old and is determined to help the veteran rediscover his form as attention turns to the 2023 World Cup.
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Sexton kicked 12 points in Ireland’s 34-10 victory over Wales in Cardiff on Saturday. This match marked only his second appearance in three months since suffering a calf injury in November, followed by a cheekbone issue on his return to Leinster in the new year.
A dead leg forced the Ireland flyhalf off the Principality Stadium pitch in the fourth quarter and, in answering questions about his captain’s fitness and commitment, Farrell was quick to jump to Sexton’s defence.
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“There’s no doubt about his age in our mind,” said Farrell. “I spoke to him over the last two weeks constantly that there’s no excuse and he needs to be at his best. He cares about his rugby so much and doing such a good job for his team.
“We’re trying to get him to a point where he’s going to be at his best even though he hasn’t played for so long. How he handles that, how he runs a team – as in makes the team feel right, and then goes out and performs at the same time.
“His goal-kicking was excellent and that’s testament to his character.”
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