Irish manager plays down timing of Sexton move

Ireland manager Mick Kearney has defended the IRFU’s contract negotiations with Jonathan Sexton and insisted news of his departure will have no impact on the team’s preparations for Saturday’s Six Nations opener in Wales.

Kearney accepted the timing of Sexton’s announcement was not ideal and revealed that Declan Kidney will be broaching the subject of contract negotiations and their timing with IRFU top brass in the coming days.

Kidney and Kearney meet with the union’s National Team Review Group at least 10 times a year — five times alone during the Six Nations — and their views are certain to reach the highest levels given IRFU chief executive Philip Browne and director of rugby Eddie Wigglesworth are among the sub-committee’s members.

Kearney said: “It is important players go into a Six Nations prepared in the best possible manner — mentally, physically, emotionally — and if there is some bit of a drag on them emotionally in terms of a contract then that is something that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

“Going into the week before a major tournament for the year with a worry hanging over your contract, or in negotiations, is not ideal and is certainly something that needs to be worked on in the future.”

Anthony Foley echoed those sentiments, although the forwards coach was quick to point out, when asked how such matters were handled during his own playing days, that there were times when contract negotiations and offers were undertaken and made much later in the season than this.

The forwards coach made that particular observation with a knowing smile but Kearney was forced to present a more steely-eyed front when it was put to him that the IRFU have been needlessly tardy in tying their leading players up to deals that would keep them playing for their provinces.

“It’s difficult at the moment in that the economic climate has changed fairly dramatically in Ireland over the last four or five years. In fairness to them, they [the IRFU] tried very hard to keep Jonny in Ireland but they couldn’t match what was being offered in France. They have a number of 10-year tickets to sell coming up very shortly and that’s going to be very important for the entire game in Ireland.

“They had a price and said, ‘we’re going to stick to that price’ and they couldn’t go beyond it.”

The impact of Sexton’s decision will only become apparent next season when he relocates to France for his first Top 14 campaign but it must have made for an interesting day in Carton House yesterday as the squad reassembled, even if the official line is one of business as usual.

“It’s not ideal, so it isn’t,” said Kearney. “That said, all the players are extremely professional. So I don’t think it has impacted on their preparation. In terms of their preparation for Saturday, I don’t think it’s a distraction, no.”