THE CHALLENGERS HAVE made their bow, now the champions enter the arena.
Joe Schmidt’s Ireland are in Rome to take on Italy at the Stadio Olimpico (KO 14.30, 15.30 local).
Preparations haven’t exactly been ideal for the defence of the title: from minor disruptions to frost-hit training schedules to the more visible problems like Jonathan Sexton’s concussion.
Sexton has not played or taken part in contact training sessions since a clash of heads with Rob Kearney during Ireland’s last fixture against Australia in November. The Racing Metro man had his final consultation with his neurologist on Thursday and has been cleared to take a full part in training from Monday onwards.
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Before Sexton’s expected return, Schmidt has handed the reins to Munster out-half Ian Keatley, a man who has been Job-like as he waited patiently for the chance to guide Ireland in a Six Nations fixture.
Before this week, the 27-year-old Dubliner has seemed to occupy a constant position in the minds of Ireland coaches; ‘not quite’. He won his first cap five and a half years ago, playing twice in the 2009 summer tour of North America. Ronan O’Gara was with the Lions, Sexton meanwhile, was battling it out with Niall O’Connor for the right to steer the good ship Ireland A.
“It’s been a long road for him. He’s over the moon to be playing,” says Keatley’s provincial (and now international teammate) Simon Zebo.
Source: Inpho/Billy Stickland
As the head coach admits, one big reason for selecting Keatley this week was his existing relationship with scrum-half Conor Murray. With a midfield that still has just the one Test’s worth of on-field experience together, the offer of such a tried and trusted combination in pivotal positions was too good to pass up.
Zebo is a returnee of sorts himself. Having missed out on the Championship last year, he impressed Schmidt enough in his November international comeback to hold on to the jersey even with competition for the jersey growing back to fierce levels.
“I’m grateful I’ve been given an opportunity, another one, to play and the Six Nations is a massive tournament. We’ve really high expectations and standards we want to achieve in this tournament. To be given the jersey early on, I am very happy with it.”
Source: James Crombie/INPHO
The 24-year-old wing is certainly the junior member of the back three, having won the the right to reunite with, Test Lions, Tommy Bowe (30) and Rob Kearney (28) in the back three. A combination with no shortage of star power.