Schmidt hopes for best as Jonny jets off to Paris

Johnny Sexton has been released from Ireland’s Six Nations training camp and is expected to play for Racing Metro against Toulouse in Paris on Saturday, Joe Schmidt has revealed.

The fly-half has been in camp this week but Racing are entitled to recall him ahead of the Top 14 clash at the Stade de France.

Schmidt said he expected the 28-year-old to be recalled after missing last weekend’s Heineken Cup dead rubber against Clermont Auvergne.

Sexton is expected back in Dublin on either Saturday night or Sunday morning, with Schmidt saying the former Leinster man is in good shape ahead of the Six Nations opener against Scotland on February 2.

“I expected it, Racing play Toulouse and he is being taken back for that game so he will go back this afternoon,” said Schmidt at yesterday’s Six Nations launch.

“He’s a lot fresher, he didn’t play last weekend down in the swamp at Clermont which I’ve never seen before. I think he’s in really good shape for the Six Nations.

“Certainly, if Racing had still been in the Heineken Cup he’d have played last weekend. The fact that they were out of the Heineken Cup meant that they didn’t require Johnny and hopefully, touch wood, there’s no injury in Toulouse and he’ll be ready to go for Scotland.”

France boss Phillipe Saint-Andre can withdraw 23 of his squad from French Top 14 action this weekend, but Schmidt doesn’t have that privilege with the former Leinster star.

Schmidt is happy Sexton is the only frontline player whose availability he cannot count on due to playing overseas, although speculation continues to link Jamie Heaslip with a move to France.

But the New Zealander says he has not spoken to Heaslip about his future.

He added: “I have intentionally not spoken to Jamie about it at all in camp over the last two days and he hasn’t mentioned it to me either.

“We’ve talked about rugby, funnily enough, and Scotland. I’d be hopeful [he’ll stay].

“The only exile we really have in the squad is Johnny, even Robin Copeland is coming back to Munster to play in Ireland, so I think it does make it easier for us to manage a player.”

Yet one player Schmidt will not be able to count on is Keith Earls, with the Munster man certainly out of the first two games against Scotland and Wales, and potentially looking at longer on the sidelines due to the knee injury he suffered against Edinburgh on Sunday.

Earls was taken off in the 24th minute of Munster’s 38-6 victory and has suspected medial ligament damage to his left knee. A scan will show whether that is the case today but he could be facing two months out if Schmidt’s worst fears are confirmed.

“Keith I talked to yesterday evening, we’re waiting on his scan results and he did take a fair whack to that knee,” said Schmidt.

“Certainly, he’ll be unavailable for the next two weekends, the Scotland and Wales games.”

This is Schmidt’s first Six Nations tournament, and he has told the IRFU that a top-two finish would constitute success.

Ireland have not finished in the top two since 2010, but Schmidt believes that is possible — although he admits his side could struggle with a six-day turnaround between the games against Scotland and Wales.

He said: “I verbalised a target [to the IRFU], and they haven’t said anything that is in any way disagreeing with that target.

“I said for us a really successful Six Nations would be top two.

“We’re talking about some really competitive teams and if we can make top two...I think it would be solid if we made the top half, and if we’re in the bottom three I’ll be really disappointed.

“With [Wales] playing Italy first up, I just think they could come with a) momentum, b) a freshness and c) a real revenge factor after what happened in the Millennium, and probably to justify maybe what happened through the summer.”

And Schmidt has also ruled out moving Peter O’Mahoney to No 7 in place of the injured Sean O’Brien.

“That would mean I’d have to find a six as well, probably. I haven’t really seen Peter play too much at seven, I know he has played seven, but then we’d have to find a 6. I think there are some guys fighting for that seven jersey. You’ve got guys like Chris Henry, Tommy O’Donnell and Jordi Murphy, and none of those guys have spent a lot of time with us.”