“I don’t think it’s an either, or. I think it’s a neither or neither.”
Ireland versus England throws up another clash between Johnny Sexton and England’s playmakers George Ford and Owen Farrell. Once again, British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland will be watching closely.
Following Ireland’s 27-24 win over Scotland, last Sunday, former Ireland internationals Fergus McFadden and Chris Henry spoke, on House of Rugby Ireland about how Sexton could well have secured a starting role for the Lions, this summer.
“With the Johnny v. Finn Russell debate, I get it,” McFadden said.
“Finn Russell does stuff that Johnny doesn’t do. But, again, if you’re going down to play South Africa, in South Africa, of course you want to have someone like Finn Russell, at a stage in the game. Do you want him starting? I look at it like that and I go, ‘Who’s the guy?’ and I think (Johnny) is.”
However, not everyone agrees with that green-tinted take on the Lions race for the No.10 jersey. Over on The Ruck, Times rugby correspondents Stephen Jones, Owen Slot, Alex Lowe and Lawrence Dallaglio discussed Sexton’s chances.
Owen Farrell and Johnny Sexton could both start against the Springboks. (Credit: Sportsfile)Welsh rugby writer Stephen Jones said, “Johnny Sexton, to play South Africa away when he’s 35 and breakable is a risk. He may go and may play in the Tests, but may not even go.” Slot followed up:
“Finn Russell, he might go because he’s an option that can give you something but he has to play himself into the [Lions] team. I’m not even sure I’d put Sexton on the plane, and I think it’s between one of the two Englishmen.”
“It [Sexton vs. Russell] was a narrative around the game and I don’t think either of them,” said Lowe. “I take Stephen’s point and I think it comes down to a fascinating decision about Owen Farrell and whether he is a Test flyhalf or whether he’s a Test inside centre, and works better outside a 10 he trusts. And that’s if he trusts Sexton or trusts George Ford.”
Slot believes sticking Russell and Farrell in the 10-12 axis could be akin to when England tried to do likewise with the Saracens star and mercurial outhalf Danny Cipriani. “Owen didn’t even talk to him or look at him, and tried to pretend he was not on the pitch,” he says.
Gatland will not be announcing his Lions squad until late April or early May so players in Champions Cup action could still stake a claim. The biggest tests are in the Six Nations, though, so Sexton could do a lot of convincing with another match-winning performance.
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