JOE SCHMIDT IS expected to field a strong hand for Ireland’s final World Cup warm-up game against Wales on Saturday [KO 2pm, RTÉ 2/Channel 4], with Johnny Sexton set for his seasonal re-appearance at the Aviva Stadium.
Sexton has not yet featured during Ireland’s warm-up schedule having suffered a thumb injury earlier in pre-season, but the Leinster out-half will start against Warren Gatland’s side this weekend.
It will be Sexton’s first run-out since Leinster’s Pro14 final win over Glasgow Warriors at the end of May as the 2018 World Rugby Player of the Year bids to hit the ground running ahead of the Pool A opener against Scotland on 22 September.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Sexton, who had also been held back due to a bit of ‘stiffness and soreness’ last week, said at Carton House this afternoon.
“It has been a good pre-season, frustrating obviously, picking up the knock at a bad time but looking forward to it now.”
Schmidt also confirmed Robbie Henshaw and Keith Earls are available for selection this week having also not featured in any of Ireland’s three warm-up outings to date.
Ireland had been managing Earls after he reported tendonitis in the knee but the Munster winger is now in line to return at the Aviva on Saturday, while Cian Healy has fully recovered from the ankle injury he sustained against England at Twickenham.
“Cian, Robbie and Keith, they have trained the last couple of days and have looked sharp,” Schmidt added, before providing an update on the fitness of Joey Carbery.
“The only one who is still in doubt is Joey really. He’d have to train fully on Thursday to be included in the match squad. He won’t start. Johnny will start at 10 so we’ll see how he goes.
“He’s going to do a little bit tomorrow and that will lead into training on Thursday and if he can’t train on Thursday he won’t be involved. That would be an unnecessary risk.”
Murray Kinsella joins Gavan Casey, Ryan Bailey and Sean Farrell with their immediate reaction to Ireland’s 31-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
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