Irish coach Declan Kidney believes Jonathan Sexton is ready
Irish coach Declan Kidney believes that Leinster out-half Jonathan Sexton is ready to play in the Autumn Internationals, starting with the opening game against South Africa on Saturday, 6 November.
Sexton will not be released to play in Leinster’s Magners League match with Edinburgh this Saturday, 30 November, despite having a limited amount of game time ahead of Ireland’s Test matches against the Springboks, Samoa, New Zealand and Argentina.
Sexton has missed much of this season due to injuries to his quadriceps muscle in his right leg. This has hindered the out-half’s kicking, but the player has suffered no ill effects after Leinster’s two wins in the Heineken Cup.
Sexton played a pivotal role in both games and the Irish coach believes that he does not need any more competitive games prior to the Test games.
"In terms of the game time, I think he has had three, three-and-a-half (Magners League, Heineken Cup) games, so if he’s not ready for the November series (after those matches), then he wouldn’t be ready to go to the World Cup next year. If he goes to that,
then he’ll have even less [game time]."
The summer tours will not take place next season due to the World Cup and this will mean that the all of the internationals will only play in a couple of friendly games before the tournament next year.
Kidney believes that it will benefit Sexton more if he stays and trains with the Ireland camp and gains a better understanding of what is expected of him in his role with the Irish team.
"Jonathan is in a situation whereby all the out-halves need to know what’s going on in terms of our own shape and things like that."
Kidney has yet to choose who he will play for the opening Test match.
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