“I’m not going to say that.”
The past two years in this Covid-struck world has often felt like a time loop. It certainly felt that way today as Johnny Sexton was fielding questions, ahead of a Six Nations opener, about Wales being there for the taking.
Sexton has played the game long enough to dead-bat any questions about one side or the other being favourites. With players such as Dan Biggar, Jonathan Davies, Liam Williams, Josh Adams and Louis Rees-Zammit to call on, Wales are hardly coming to Dublin with a rag-tag bunch.
Heading into the 2021 Six Nations, the Welsh regions were in bother, there were injury issues and head coach Wayne Pivac was copping it from most sides about performances and results. Less than two months later and Wales were champions.
Heading into the 2022 Six Nations, it is a similar story. Wales may be defending champions, but they are behind Ireland, France and England in many pre-tournament predictions and proclamations.
If anything, Wales are in even worse shape when it comes to injuries. The following guys are either not available for selection or were not picked by Pivac – Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Taulupe Faletau, Dan Lydiate, Elliott Dee, Josh Macleod, Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Johnny Williams, George North, Leigh Halfpenny, Owen Lane, James Botham, Thomas Young. Added to that, Wils Halaholo is an injury doubt and Christ Tshiunza is just coming back from Covid isolation.
Still, it took a brave soul (or two) to suggest to Ireland captain Johnny Sexton that Ireland are favourites for this weekend’s championship opener.
Johnny Sexton refutes suggestion Wales are underdogs
Sexton was pressed, on a couple of occasions at his online briefing [from a training camp in Portugal], about Ireland having the upper hand.
Asked if he would acknowledge that Ireland are favourites, he replied, “I’m not going to say that because then I’m insulting the guys that are coming in – and I think the guys that are coming in are excellent players.
“The guys that are injured of course have big reputations because they’ve played multiple Tests for their country. They’ve performed week in, week out. But these other guys that are coming in are at the start of their journey and could go on and have the same careers as the guys ahead of them.
“There’s not one ounce of complacency in our squad. We haven’t spoken too much about who they are missing – we’ve spoken about who they’ve got. We see a big, tough test ahead.”
During the same press briefing, the Leinster outhalf said much of he edge, and nastiness, between Ireland versus Wales encounters had eased over the past decade.
Lions tours with sizeable Irish and Welsh contingents played a part in the mellowing out process and he says he is now ‘good friends’ with current Wales captain Dan Biggar.
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