Furore over Sexton injury

The IRFU and Racing Metro were at loggerheads last night over the extent of Jonathan Sexton’s injury and what role, if any, the player will play in the remainder of the Six Nations.

The Irish union has continued to talk up the out-half’s chances of facing Italy in the penultimate 2014 Six Nations clash tomorrow week — even after the French club made claims of a layoff that may stretch to six weeks.

Racing got the ball rolling yesterday when they revealed the thumb injury suffered in Ireland’s defeat to England last week would require anything from 10 days to six weeks to overcome, but the IRFU had been bullish about his well-being before that.

Nothing changed after it.

Within hours, the union had released an injury bulletin in which they acknowledged the presence of ligament damage but still expressed a confidence that he would play against Italy on March 8 if his current rate of improvement continued.

The IRFU’s medical team has consulted a hand specialist who has examined the problem and their findings are that the issue is not one that warrants surgery.

Irish supporters will hope that the claims being made closer to home are the more accurate, but with the IRFU denying even the existence of an injury last Monday their pronouncements must be taken in context.

Ronan O’Gara, assistant coach at Racing, had warned on Wednesday that the injury would definitely sideline his former colleague for this weekend’s Top 14 clash with Castres and also leave him highly doubtful for the Italy and France fixtures.

“He’s out between 10 days and six weeks, that’s the latest,” the Irish Examiner columnist added last night. “He’ll be released to Irish camp on Sunday and see a specialist on Wednesday and that will determine whether he plays against Italy.

“If the specialist isn’t confident he’ll be ruled out against Italy and they’ll reassess again the following week before France.

“Six weeks is the worst-case scenario,” said O’Gara, who is ‘on site’ with Sexton in Paris. “It may settle down, it may require an operation but they should know that by next Wednesday. For now, he’ll have to take it day by day.”

Sexton’s absence would be a huge blow to Ireland’s hopes of claiming a first Six Nations title in five years and 22-year old Paddy Jackson will replace him for the visit of the Azzurri if Racing’s prediction is correct.

Jackson is due to start for Ulster against the Dragons at Ravenhill tonight — unless he is pulled and wrapped in cotton wool. Ian Madigan, who would cover Jackson in Sexton’s absence, is expected to get the nod for Leinster’s meeting with Glasgow tomorrow.

Both Jackson and Madigan, though talented players, are novices at Test level having made their international debuts only last season and, for what it is worth, Sexton stayed on against England and the All Blacks in November despite being injured.

Should Sexton not make it for Italy, Jackson would be propelled into the Six Nations limelight for the second time in 12 months. He was handed a surprise debut, ahead of O’Gara, by Declan Kidney against Scotland last year when Sexton was also injured.

With Sexton already in Paris, it was left to Jackson to run the plays at the team’s mini-camp in Belfast this last two days where those absolved of duty with the provinces this weekend were put through their paces.

Brian O’Driscoll took a limited part in field work as he continues to work off a “cramping” complaint from Twickenham, with much of his conditioning work being done on a pitchside exercise bike instead.

Andrew Trimble limped away from the pitch at Belfast’s swanky Newforge Country Club after taking a knock to the knee. His withdrawal was described as a precaution with an initial review revealing “no immediate concerns”. He will be reviewed again today.

Sexton aside, the main injury concern to return from London last weekend was Peter O’Mahony, whose hamstring injury is said to be improving. The plan for the Munster flanker is that he will recommence running over the weekend.

O’Mahony, whose place at training was taken by Iain Henderson, spoke confidently if cautiously about his recovery.

“It’s not too bad,” he said of the offending muscle. “Obviously it has stopped me from training for the last 48 hours but you need to give these things a bit of rest and respect them and hopefully I’ll be back training early next week and put myself back into contention for selection.”