SIX NATIONS ENGLAND v IRELAND:IT'S HIS first Test match against England, his first Six Nations start, his first senior international in Twickenham, his first time playing for Ireland opposite Johnny Wilkinson. What has Jonathan Sexton got to be worried about?
Some critics in England now see Wilkinson as a sort of David Beckham of rugby; a first-class taker of free kicks but now in his 30th year and a questionable contributor in other areas of the pitch.
Coach Martin Johnson has this week had to put a protective arm around Wilkinson but the prospect of Sexton facing one of the icons of the English game on his favourite stomping ground in London offers yet another challenge to the rise and rise of the Irish outhalf.
“It is (a challenge),” says Irish defence coach, Les Kiss. “A good chance to go to Twickenham again. He’s been there a couple of times already and it will be another important step in his development. We’re looking forward to that. He’s been really good actually. With the help of Rog (Ronan O’Gara), very good behind him on the bench there. He’s an assured young man.”
Kiss seems assured himself. While Sexton hasn’t fumbled a chance yet and has gone in against Fiji on a cold blustery night at the RDS and against South Africa, both times when O’Gara has been available, team Ireland is a different matter. England, with all the negativity emanating from their supporting charioteers, offer more than just the traditional sturdy strength.
“The perception is that they’re one-dimensional,” adds Kiss. “But when you analyse them deeply, as we have to do, you realise that there’s a lot more there. Their back three is a big threat. I know that they’d like to get the ball to them a little more often, into those wider channels.
“They can use them on some hidden running lines that they can exploit quite well. That’s where the back three are dangerous. I know they’ll probably revert to their traditional strengths, pick and drive etc. I know they’d like to get that extra pass wide and we’re prepared well.”
A profligate tendency to give away needless penalties has also been cleaned up by Johnson, who has stuck by a large core of players. They are not the feckless team of 2009 and their strike runners are finding greater finesse.
“Last year, they had disciplinary problems and couldn’t quite get their teeth into a game they could be happy with,” Kiss explains.
“They’re probably in a lot better place than people give them credit for. In my humble opinion they’ve slowly but surely put things in place.
“The way they use (Riki) Flutey and (Matthew) Tait is quite astute. When you study it, they have some real subtle lines, what you might suggest are sometimes illegal blocking lines that come into play and take defenders out.
“So we’re going to have to work around some strategies in that area for sure.”
Sexton, like Keith Earls on the wing, will take almost as much from the match as they give. For Wilkinson it simply doesn’t work that way any more.
“It’s another part of the journey for him,” explains Kiss on Sexton’s current positioning in the game. What he also knows is that, in his three previous outings for Ireland, he has delivered each time.
