Ronan O’Gara says Johnny Sexton will be fit for 6 Nations opener

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt is today set to name an extended squad for the first two games of the RBS 6 nations campaign with Ronan O’Gara revealing fly-half Johnny Sexton had given him every reason to believe he would be fit to face to Scotland in 12 days.

Ireland open their 2017 championship at Murrayfield on February 4 followed a week later by a trip to Rome to face Conor O’Shea’s Italy with Schmidt poised to welcome a squad numbering in the high 30s into camp at Carton House this week to begin preparations.

Sexton, 31, had caused concerns about his potential involvement when he was withdrawn from the Leinster line-up during the first half of their Champions Cup draw with Castres in France on Friday. Leinster reported their fly-half, Ireland’s first choice playmaker, had felt a tight calf muscle midway through the first-half at Stade Pierre Antoine.

Yet O’Gara, Sexton’s one-time rival for the Ireland number 10 jersey and then kicking coach at former club Racing, revealed on Saturday night there was no cause for alarm.

“I spoke to him last night, and he’s fine,” O’Gara said of Sexton. “He had a bruise and he got another knock on it, so thankfully I don’t think it’s a tear. So, if you get a knock on the calf it’s completely different to having a stretch on the calf. He seems confident and I’ve every reason to believe he’ll be fine.”

With Schmidt naming between 37 and 39 players and injuries currently ruling out hooker Sean Cronin, back row Jordi Murphy, fly-half Joey Carbery and outside backs Stuart Olding and Jared Payne, there is plenty of wiggle room for the Ireland boss to call uncapped players into his training group, while Keith Earls, Sean O’Brien and Ultan Dillane all missed their respective province’s European matches at the weekend through injury.

O’Gara was impressed by a number of Munster players who contributed to the 22-10 defeat of his Racing side at Thomond Park on Saturday. Like former Test team-mate Brian O’Driscoll, the Munster legend name-checked hooker Niall Scannell, who could be a replacement for the injured Sean Cronin, and centre Rory Scannell and added: “There is serious competition for places.

“Andrew Conway I think will get in, I hope Ronan O’Mahony gets a look in. Everyone will push but you can only pick two. Joe has it the way he wants it and there will be some A v B games in training and that is going to bring out a great Irish team which is what we all want.

“John Ryan has been a huge model of consistency. I don’t know enough about front-row to know how good he is. Niall Scannell has done really well. James Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne. They’re good.” Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said he expected up to a dozen call-ups from the province in a contingent that looks set to be lead by Conor Murray, Keith Earls and Simon Zebo as well as forwards including captain Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander, Donnacha Ryan and Dave Kilcoyne.

Jack O’Donoghue, John Ryan and Billy Holland were also capped at Test level during November’s Guinness Series with Tommy O’Donnell also anxiously awaiting word from Schmidt. Erasmus also said he thought in-form wing Conway “should be in with a good chance”.

As for the Scannell brothers, the Munster boss said: “I think they have got the potential. I think they will be there one day.

I am not sure if they will kick on immediately but they have all the potential to get their focus right and their work right and they are working currently and they certainly have the potential.

“The more guys we get up in the Irish set-up they will just get better, they will play against the best players in the world. They will come back, they will influence the young academy guys that come through, the training sessions will lift and the standard of video sessions and education sessions will lift.

“There is no doubt you are better off with getting those guys exposed. Will be grinding out some tough games in the Pro12 without those guys but it’s the ideal circumstances to bring other guys through.”

Former Ireland captain O’Driscoll highlighted three names he thought could appear.

“Especially with the injury to Sean Cronin and the way Munster are playing in the front row, you have Niall Scannell, who hasn’t been capped yet. I imagine that he’ll be in the mix,” O’Driscoll told BT Sport. “Jack Conan had a huge performance for Leinster last week.

“The back row is hugely competitive, he is probably sixth or seventh down the pecking order. With a couple of injuries he could easily find his way in.

“I think (Ulster’s) Stuart McCloskey has really put his hand up again. He didn’t feature in the summer tour or in November but he has put in some really big performances and Joe Schmidt has to sit up and pay attention to that.”