Joe Schmidt tipped to favour Johnny Sexton

Joe Schmidt may wait until after training this morning at Carton House before finalising his Ireland team to face France in Dublin on Saturday.

With fly-half Johnny Sexton back in the mix, Schmidt wants to give himself every possible guarantee his first-choice number 10 is ready.

With stand-in Paddy Jackson enhancing his reputation in Sexton’s absence since replacing the Lions playmaker in the first half of the November 19 Test against the All Blacks in Dublin, Schmidt has a genuine decision to make over his choice of playmaker but there is every indication he will select Sexton to start against the French alongside scrum-half Conor Murray.