Johnny Sexton injury thrusts Ross Byrne onto centre stage in La Rochelle

Byrne is set to start a European knockout game for the very first time

Ross Byrne during Leinster Rugby squad training at UCD. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Rugby is all about the next man, or woman, up. Doesn’t matter that it is Johnny Sexton who Leinster must do without for Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final away to La Rochelle. All eyes now turn towards Ross Byrne.

Sexton is still going through graduated return-to-play protocols two-and-a-half weeks after failing a HIA during the first half of the province’s last-eight defeat of Exeter Chiefs. Not good, obviously, but Robin McBryde was more interested in focusing on his replacement.