Ireland’s misfortune with injuries continued this morning when Jonathan Sexton suffered a foot injury in training and following a scan was ruled out of the Six Nations Championship match against Italy in the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
The Leinster outhalf was named in the Ireland team, but suffered the mishap and was immediately sent to hospital. The initial prognosis was that he would be able to play as Irish coach Declan Kidney suggested at this morning’s press conference. “: “Jonny turned over on his foot a little bit this morning, but we expect that he’ll be fine.
“He’s being checked out now. Ian Madigan will travel with us as cover. Jonny’s very keen to get going now and is very happy to be involved.” The player was transported to hospital by car where an MRI scan revealed that Sexton had torn a tendon in his left foot. It is not known yet for how long it will keep him sidelined.
Sexton had recovered from a hamstring injury that forced him off after half an hour of the England game and out of the subsequent matches against Scotland and France. Paddy Jackson, who deputised in the Leinster player’s absence, comes back into the starting team with Ian Madigan included in the replacements.
Madigan, who made his Ireland debut at the Aviva stadium last Saturday, was travelling to Rome on stand-by after Sexton suffered his foot problem. He is now in the match 23.
The original Irish team had two changes from that which drew 13-13 with France last weekend but now shows only one as Jackson is restored to the outhalf role. Craig Gilroy returns on the right wing after recovering from a groin strain that forced him to miss last weekend’s game. He replaces Fergus McFadden who sustained a rib injury the last day.
There are two changes to the bench with Ulster’s Paul Marshall called in following the broken ankle that Eoin Reddan sustained last weekend at the Aviva stadium and Devin Toner preferred to Donncha O’Callaghan.
Donnacha Ryan has recovered from a shoulder injury that saw him replaced during the game against France and is named alongside Mike McCarthy in the secondrow.
Ireland’s centre partnership of Brian O’Driscoll and Luke Marshall both of whom suffered blows to the head - O’Driscoll also shipped a dead leg - have satisfied the return-to-play protocols. There is conjecture that this may be O’Driscoll’s last game in an Ireland jersey with the national team’s record try scorer expected to outline his future plans in the next fortnight.
During the course of today’s press conference Kidney was asked if he expected the match at the Stadio Olimpico to be his last as Ireland coach. He replied: “I haven’t been thinking about anything else apart from getting ourselves right for Saturday.”
Ireland: R Kearney; C Gilroy, B O'Driscoll, L Marshall, K Earls; P Jackson, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; M McCarthy, D Ryan; P O'Mahony, S O'Brien, J Heaslip (capt). Replacements: S Cronin, D Kilcoyne, S Archer, D Toner, I Henderson, P Marshall, I Madigan, L Fitzgerald.
