IRELAND TEAM MANAGER Paul Dean was unable to provide any further clarification on the fitness of Johnny Sexton this afternoon, other than the out-half will continue his rehab this week.
The 31-year-old missed Ireland’s opening game of this Six Nations Championship with a calf injury and his availability for the second assignment against Italy in Rome this weekend remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Joe Schmidt last week said that Sexton was close to being fit and ready for Saturday’s game at Murrayfield but Dean today revealed that the Leinster 10 has only just resumed running.
“Johnny Sexton [is] another very positive guy, Johnny is continuing his rehab and his progress will be monitored across the week, but he’s back running which is very positive,” Dean explained.
“Johnny as you well know, Johnny would play today if we’d let him but we have to monitor his recovery and make sure he’s fine.
“At this stage we’re hoping everybody will be in with a chance. We have to manage everybody’s training load just to make sure we give everybody a chance.
“The whole squad want to play next weekend, but we have to make sure that they are fit and ready.”
Speaking alongside Robbie Henshaw at the team’s base at Carton House, Dean issued an otherwise clean bill of health following the hugely disappointing loss to Scotland.
Tadgh Furlong sustained a bruised shoulder but will train later when the squad return to the paddock this afternoon.
Dean also confirmed that Ian Keatley remains with the squad, and Schmidt hasn’t added any more players to his panel.
There was encouraging news on Peter O’Mahony, too, but again the Munster captain remains touch and go for this weekend and will be monitored as the week progresses.
“A lot of the guys were bruised mentally and physically after the weekend, Tadhg Furlong has a bruised shoulder but he’ll be fine and will be well able to train today.
“Peter O’Mahony is progressing well following his hamstring issue and will recommence running today.
“Donnacha Ryan and Finlay Bealham, they both trained fully at the end of last week and will be fully available this week.
“Andrew Trimble has progressed well and is expected to train later today, Andrew Conway has rehabbed his groin issue and will train later today.”
But all the focus remains on Sexton’s calf. Will he or won’t he be fit for Rome?
“It’s hard to tell, but we have to manage them [Sexton and O'Mahony] and make sure,” Dean replied.
“They’d both play tomorrow, they’d play today. But we just have to make sure that they are ready.
“Well he’s [Sexton] been managed by the medics I’m afraid. I can’t give any sort of prognosis, we just have to wait and see.”
Another talking point at today’s press conference was the late arrival of the Irish team to Murrayfield on Saturday — although both Dean and Henshaw insisted it played no role in the performance.
“We left the hotel on time and were delayed getting to the ground,” Dean explained. “But we don’t feel the delay had anything to do with the way the team played.
“We were slightly delayed in getting to the ground, we took a different route from the one planned and that was enforced by the police.
“We had no control, these were circumstances outside of our control unfortunately but as I said, we don’t feel it did contribute to the performance on the day.”
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