Banned Ireland captain Johnny Sexton to feature in ‘behind-closed-doors’ clash
Johnny Sexton and Ireland celebrated a Grand Slam triumph.
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton is set to line up against Portugal in a training match ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Andy Farrell’s side are off to the Algarve as they continue their preparations for the global tournament in France.
The Irish are set to face the Portuguese national team on their home soil in a behind-close-doors training fixture.
Sexton to lace up the boots
Sexton, who missed Ireland’s opening World Cup warm-up game due to a three-match suspension for misconduct, is set to take part in the training fixture.
The Times reported that ‘the game against Portugal is not classed as an official fixture, making it possible for Sexton to lace up his boots’.
Meanwhile, The Irish Times added that the behind-closed-doors session with Portugal ‘will not be training match per se’ but will contain ‘controlled contact around scrums and mauls’.
Any kind of match fitness would be a massive boost for Sexton, who last played during the Six Nations, helping Ireland claim a 26-16 victory over England to seal the Grand Slam.
The 38-year-old sustained a torn groin injury in that fixture and missed the remainder of Leinster’s season.
Farrell said that he is happy with the squad’s overall fitness, adding that the trip to Portugal will be a good stressor for his players.
“I think they are in great nick,” the head coach said after the World Cup warm-up match against Italy.
“The way they’ve trained over the first six weeks has been outstanding.
“It is a good period for us now, because the heat stresses [in Portugal] are pretty demanding, and we’ll push them over there.”
Ireland’s Rugby World Cup preparations
Unlike New Zealand and England, Farrell has yet to finalise his Ireland squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup, meaning that all 42 players will travel to the Algarve.
Ireland return to Dublin next week ahead of their Rugby World Cup warm-up match against England on August 19.
They wrap up their preparations for the tournament when they clash with Samoa in Bayonne on August 26.
Ireland’s Rugby World Cup campaign kicks off on September 9 against Romania. Their second Pool B clash is against Tonga, with a testing finish to the group stage seeing them face South Africa and Scotland.