Busy Sexton may miss Samoa game

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt will “probably not” play Johnny Sexton against Samoa next week if his number one fly-half runs out for Racing Metro this weekend.

Schmidt waved goodbye to his former Leinster charge from Ireland training camp at Carton House last night as the 28-year-old headed back to Paris for potentially his 13th game in 12 weeks when Racing head south to Biarritz on Saturday.

Sexton had been earmarked for a weekend off ahead of the Guinness Series, which kicks off in eight days against the Samoans, but his French club have recalled the Irishman following an injury to Juan Martin Hernandez and fitness doubts over this weekend’s starting 10 Jonathan Wisniewski.