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Rugby

12th Dec 2014

Racing Métro rest Johnny Sexton for another Champions Cup game

The out-half is being saved for a league game with La Rochelle

Patrick McCarry

The Irish out-half has not played since returning from international duty

Johnny Sexton has once again been spared Champions Cup duty by his club. The out-half, who is returning to Leinster next season, has played just six games for Racing Métro in the current campaign and has only once finished 80 minutes.

Sexton will miss his team’s home tie against Ospreys, in Paris, on Saturday but his club expect him to return for league duty over the festive period.

Last week, a Racing spokesman told SportsJOE that Sexton would miss the trip to play Ospreys at Liberty Stadium due to “workload”. His club drew 19-19 to remain top of their pool and can put a tentative foot towards the knock-out stages with a home win this weekend.

When contacted about Sexton’s absence from the Racing squad this week, the spokesman stated, ‘Coaches decided he is not quite ready and (are) keeping him for next week versus La Rochelle.’

Racing are currently fourth in the Top 14 standings while La Rochelle are a point off the bottom. Sexton will be hoping to get in some rugby in the coming weeks so he can regain match fitness ahead of the remaining group ties with Northampton and Treviso.

Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble, meanwhile, are based in Venice for the weekend ahead of their Challenge Cup clash with Rovigo. Chris Farrell has been named at outside centre for Grenoble.

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