JOE SCHMIDT BRUSHED off as ‘extraneous’ the comments from England head coach Eddie Jones about the well-being of Jonathan Sexton.

The Australia, who has won his opening games in charge of England, raised the issue of Sexton’s whiplash injury at Pennyhill Park today and suggested that Sexton’s parents must be worried.

Posed Jones’ quotes at Carton House after naming his team to face England, Schmidt attempted to deflect Jones’ words as mere outside interference.

“I think we’re probably less affected by those extraneous things than you people are,” Schmidt said, “because if we’re distracted by that, then that’s something that we’re wasting energy and time on.

“We get little enough time together as it is. And we’re all about making sure that we can be organised, enthusiastic, well-recovered, not distracted.

People are within their rights to make whatever observation they like from outside the environment. But we know how things are inside the environment.

“We know how eager, fit and able the players are, and he (Sexton) is a good example of someone who’s very eager this weekend and I think you’ll see that this Saturday.”

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