Warren Gatland sends challenge to Johnny Sexton

Warren Gatland has challenged Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton to stay “fit and perform” during the Six Nations if he hopes to be the British & Irish Lions Test starter.

The Lions head coach said yesterday he felt Sexton, who missed Ireland’s final Guinness Series Test win over Australia with a hamstring injury suffered early in the previous week’s clash with New Zealand, was now under pressure to remain the tourists’ first-choice No.10 when they face the All Blacks over three Tests this summer in Auckland and Wellington.

With Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt suggesting at the end of international window that Sexton might benefit from a rest beyond his injury issues, the question of the Leinster fly-half’s durability was put to Gatland in Kildare yesterday after he revealed his three assistant coaches for the 2017 Tour, attack coach Rob Howley, forwards coach Steve Borthwick with Andy Farrell getting the defence brief.