FRANCE TEAM MANAGER Raphael Ibanez believes Ireland will feel the absence of captain Johnny Sexton this weekend, as Andy Farrell’s side prepare to take on Les Bleus in Paris.
Saturday’s visitors to the French capital will be without 36-year-old captain Sexton due to a hamstring injury.
Joey Carbery will make his first Six Nations start as he deputises for 2018′s world player of the year.
“We feel the Ireland coaching staff are protecting who will succeed Sexton, Carbery,” Ibanez told reporters.
“He needs to be at the level so to take pressure off him they explained that nothing will change.
“The experience of Johnny Sexton would have counted in this match,” he added.
Directly facing Carbery in Paris will be Les Bleus playmaker Romain Ntamack and scrum-half Antoine Dupont.
They failed to sparkle in last weekend’s laboured win over Italy after starring so far on the Test scene.
“We expect that they’re at their level since they started their international careers,” Ibanez said.
“They are the team’s leaders.
“The forwards will have an incredible match to play who will have to show their mettle at every minute and moment and it’s obvious that after that Antoine and Romain’s quality will be able to come to the forefront.
Ibanez added that flanker Francois Cros will be fit to face Ireland despite suffering an injury in training.
Toulouse’s Cros, 27, seemed to hurt his neck during an eve-of-match session at the Stade de France earlier on Friday.
“The team’s freshness is optimal,” Ibanez said.
“It was in a collision with Demba Bamba as things rose in intensity during the captain’s run.
“There’s nothing major about Francois. He was able to continue the training as anticipated.”
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Gavan Casey and Murray Kinsella hit record for the second time in one day after news of Johnny Sexton’s injury, with Illtud Dafydd joining the lads on the line from Paris to give great insight into all things les Bleus.
