PADDY JACKSON MAY have been at the wheel for the majority of Ireland’s match minutes over the past year, but Ireland still view Jonathan Sexton as the complete package they want in the number 10 channel.
The Ulster out-half has been excellent as Ireland’s out-half since getting an overdue chance to shine through Ian Madigan’s move abroad and Sexton’s frustrating run of injuries. However, with the Leinster playmaker returning to full training yesterday, there is a considerable temptation to start him in Saturday’s Six Nations clash against France.
“It’s probably the case that: what you see is very similar,” skills coach Richie Murphy said when asked to compare the rival out-halves.
“Paddy is still trying to learn and get better – which he is – at the bits you can’t see.”
Johnny Sexton may have played just 130 minutes of rugby since November, and taken part in only one full training session in the past month, but the bar for how much confidence this coaching ticket has in its players rests with him.
“He’s been there, he’s seen it all. He was a Lions winning out-half, he’s won three Heineken Cups, he’s won a couple of Six Nations, so that experience is invaluable for a player.
Paddy’s still only 24, numbers wise they’d add up pretty well, but it’s the bits in between. What makes a really good player? Is it what you see or other areas as well?”
“It’s communication, the reading of the game, the understanding at one particular moment of the game what’s the right decision to make. And that decision could be based on many different reasons; it could be the conditions, the time of the game, what one defender is going to do different to another, it’s very hard to put your finger on exactly what it is, but Johnny’s just been in a position where he understands these things a little better than Paddy at the moment, but the gap is closing.”
It’s often been said that Sexton, much like the perception of Roy Keane to Alex Ferguson, is the physical on-field embodiment of Joe Schmidt. He barks the orders, he sees the patterns and is never shy of verbally whipping a team-mate who isn’t matching up to the highest of standards.
Murphy doesn’t see the connection between the pair as being quite so inextricable, but after working closely with both ‘JSs’ since the Kiwi arrived on these shores in 2010, he has seen first-hand how the pair operate in harmony.
“I think Johnny understands the game through his time that he has spent with Joe.
“In relation to the attack side of the game he understands how Joe thinks and he understands what plays we put in place for certain reasons. But that is only one part of the game. Once you move outside of the set-piece, maybe the second, third breakdown, after that it’s about general play and it’s his ability to read general play is what makes him really good.”
There is of course, the possibility that Schmidt may opt to ease Sexton back into the Test arena as a replacement. It would make sense given he was sidelined for the past month and only resumed goal-kicking practice last week. Fitness coach Jason Cowman will be tasked with ensuring Sexton is warmed and ready for any stage of the contest.
“Normally what we would do is: players who are fit or players who are coming back for fitness you would like to start them, but it doesn’t have to be like that,” says Murphy.
“The warm-up can be graduated. He doesn’t need to go really hard in the pre-game and then drop off and then try and come back up. In fairness, Jason keeps them going all the way through the first half anyway. If it was a situation where he was on the bench, I think you can manage to get him right for whenever he needs to come on.”
“I think Johnny’s in a very comfortable position, within himself, he knows there’s pressure on him to get out there and play, but when he’s out there, he’s very calm, controlled, communicating really well with guys around him.
“He’s able to pick the right option at the right time, and that’s the key – that’s the key to the best out-halves out there.”
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