O’Gara on standby after Sexton injury scare

Ireland have been given a late injury scare ahead of tonight’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France after fly-half Jonny Sexton felt a tweak in his thigh muscle during training yesterday in Paris.

Sexton has not been ruled out of the game but Ulster’s Paddy Wallace was called into Declan Kidney’s squad last night as a precaution should Sexton not pass fit for the game, with Munster’s Ronan O’Gara standing by to start in sub-zero temperatures.

Yesterday’s captain’s runs were cancelled at Stade de France as stadium officials kept the pitch covered to protect it from the elements, and only the kickers managed to practice in Paris, albeit on an all-weather surface where Sexton injured himself.

The Leinster fly-half will be monitored right up to kick off before any decision on the final match 22 is made.

While Ireland finalised their preparations, the row over the last-minute penalty awarded by referee Wayne Barnes at the Aviva Stadium last Sunday also rumbled on, with the International Rugby Board and Six Nations feeling the need to defend Barnes in a joint statement. Leigh Halfpenny kicked the winning points for Wales after Barnes issued a penalty and yellow card against Stephen Ferris for a tip tackle on Ian Evans. Ferris was cited after the game but the citing was not upheld by the Six Nations disciplinary panel and after the hearing, Irish team manager Mick Kearney claimed the panel had also felt Barnes’s decision to award the penalty had also been incorrect.

The IRB/Six Nations statement backed Barnes and said the IRB’s match officials performance review had endorsed the referee’s “decision to award a penalty”.

“On first viewing the panel could understand exactly how the match referee came to the decision,” the statement continued. “In dismissing the citing no criticism of the referee’s on field decision should be taken or inferred.”