Rory Best backs Paddy Jackson to fill Johnny Sexton void

Rory Best will trust Paddy Jackson to step up to the plate in the absence of Johnny Sexton and guide his Ireland side to an opening-round RBS 6 Nations victory over Scotland at Murrayfield today.

With first-choice out-half Sexton failing to shake off a calf strain, 25-year-old Jackson will make his first Championship start since his rookie campaign in 2013 when Ireland begin their 2017 challenge in Edinburgh.

Today’s game will also mark Best’s 101st Test cap and the start of his second Six Nations as captain since succeeding Paul O’Connell and after a third-place finish in last season’s tournament for a team transitioning after the 2015 World Cup, the hooker believes he is better placed to put his trust in new additions to the team.