Johnny Sexton should wear a helmet, quips Bernard Le Roux

France flanker Bernard Le Roux has warned his Racing Metro club-mate Johnny Sexton to wear a helmet when the returning fly-half makes his comeback for Ireland tomorrow following a 12-week concussion lay-off.

The remarks from the South African-born forward were made in jest towards his Racing colleague but came as Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt insisted Sexton was fully fit for tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations showdown in Dublin.

“It always feels good to put a good hit on a buddy,” Le Roux joked yesterday. “We will laugh afterwards at the club. But if I were him, I would put on a helmet.”

Schmidt was responding to concerns the British & Irish Lions star may not be up to the physical challenge the high-intensity French will pose at the Aviva Stadium having only had a week’s contact training with Ireland since receiving the all-clear from a Paris neurosurgeon last week. Sexton was one of three changes to the Ireland side which started Saturday’s opener in Rome, replacing Ian Keatley at out-half. Also back in action will be Jamie Heaslip at No.8 for Jordi Murphy and Sean O’Brien at openside flanker for Tommy O’Donnell. Murphy drops to the bench but Munster team-mates O’Donnell and Keatley have both been omitted.

Also set to start is hooker Rory Best, named by Schmidt yesterday subject to the Ulster forward completing all his return to play protocols following a second-half concussion in the win over Italy.

Asked whether Sexton, after a 12-week absence, could play 80 minutes against France, who had promised to target the fly-half’s defensive channel throughout tomorrow’s game before Le Roux had made his wisecrack, Schmidt said: “I think one of the misconceptions is Johnny’s not fully fit. He’s fully fit. I don’t think he will drop off because a lack of cardiovascular fitness. He’s totally fit from a playing perspective and therefore, for us, it’s a little bit like Jamie (Heaslip) last week, it’s a little bit like Rory (Best) this week. He’s fit.”

As to whether starting Sexton was a risk, Schmidt said: “(He is) as much a risk as anyone else. He’s very fit and he’s done a lot of training, four weeks’ training. He’s done heavy contact this week and he’s ready. Sometimes the reverse can happen. You can do a lot of contact and be pretty bashed up.”