Brian O'Driscoll backs Johnny Sexton to hit the ground running

A grand total of 25 weeks will have elapsed since his last game by the time Sexton takes to the field for Ireland against Romania in Bordeaux at the weekend

LAUNCH: Pictured at Aviva Stadium is Guinness Ambassador, Brian O’Driscoll who has teamed up with Guinness to help launch their new rugby campaign ‘Don’t Jinx It’. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

It's close to a decade now since Brian O’Driscoll hung up the boots but there are still strong ties that bind the former centre to an Ireland squad that will look to sever links with the country’s abysmal World Cup record this next few weeks.

All told, there are eight among Andy Farrell’s current collective that shared a senior dressing-room with O’Driscoll back in the day. None of them spent more time rubbing shoulders with him than Johnny Sexton.