BACK IN DECEMBER, Warren Gatland admitted that Johnny Sexton’s durability was a concern and stressed that the Six Nations was going to be important for the Ireland out-half in terms of pushing his Lions claims.
That came after Sexton had suffered a hamstring injury during the November Tests, and before he spent around seven weeks out of the game working to ensure that issue didn’t strike again.
Sexton was the Lions out-half in 2013. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
Fast forward to the first week of the Six Nations and Sexton has been ruled out of Ireland’s meeting with Scotland due to a calf injury.
There was an air of inevitability around Tuesday’s announcement that the 31-year-old would not be available this weekend, such has been the extent of his physical frustration in recent times.
Having backed Sexton as his starting out-half on the successful 2013 tour of Australia, Gatland is well aware of how excellent a player the Irishman is, but another injury in a long list of them only adds to the concerns.
“He is obviously a really quality player but that’s the thing as well – there is going to be some real attrition in New Zealand and you are going to need some players that are going to be able to handle what is going to be an incredibly tough and physical tour with the ten matches,” said Gatland at Temple Street Children’s Hospital yesterday.
“Hopefully, we have a group of players that can last that time and you don’t pick up too many injuries. That’s something that we have got to be aware of too.
“The next few months are important for him, aren’t they? It’s not just Johnny. There are a number of players from the four nations that have had injuries and that have found it difficult to put a consecutive part of the season together.
“Johnny has been unfortunate in the last couple of seasons in that he has picked up a few injuries, a couple of knocks to the head as well, so for me I’m hoping that he gets back to fitness as quickly as possible and starts to play in that Irish Six Nations team and performs well.”
Gatland is convinced that Sexton will not take much time to get back up to speed if he can shake this latest injury problem.
Brian O’Driscoll and Warren Gatland with Daire Shortall, age 7, at Temple Street Children’s Hospital. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
“Someone of Johnny’s experience and calibre, the fact that he isn’t available, he is going to be able to fit back seamlessly into the team and you hope he is going to get back fit and get a number of games under his belt, potentially in the Six Nations and towards the end of the season.”
While Sexton’s Lions prospects appear a little unclear at present, Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray looks like a shoo-on.
The Munster man is arguably the in-form scrum-half in world rugby, having developed into a complete player.
His rich vein of form has also brought with it attention from the opposition, with Murray accusing Glasgow of attempting to deliberately injure him in a recent Champions Cup clash.