GREIG Laidlaw has insisted that Ireland’s loss of fly-half Jonny Sexton for Saturday’s Six Nations match at Murrayfield should not be seen as a big blow to the visitors. The Scotland captain accepted that Sexton and scrum-half Conor Murray have an understanding that has been key to Ireland’s success in some games, but he warned that the Irish have considerable resources in reserve.
Paddy Jackson, the Ulster stand-off, has been running plays in training while his Leinster team-mate has been sidelined, and is now expected to start the game at BT Murrayfield. Ian Keatley has been added to Joe Schmidt’s squad, and could be preferred to another Munster player, the uncapped Rory Scannell. Schmidt has again chosen not to select Ian Madigan, who is now playing for Bordeaux. “He’s been struggling with injury, so Ireland will probably have known that he wouldn’t make Saturday a lot longer than we have,” Laidlaw said at lunchtime yesterday after hearing the news that Sexton has been ruled out with a calf strain. “I’m sure they’ve been training to cover that up. They have quality in behind, whether it be Paddy Jackson or the young fella coming in from Munster [Scannell]. Their strength in depth is one of their keys to Ireland’s recent success.
“It makes a little bit of difference, if I’m being honest. Sexton’s a key driver in that team alongside Murray, albeit they don’t play provincially together they do have a strong combination when they link up with Ireland. Obviously they have a good understanding and you can see Jonny is really a linchpin in that team: he drives their attack, so whoever comes in has got a big job to do.
“Sexton is a quality player, of course, but we can’t focus on one player. We just need to fixate on ourselves and get that part right first and foremost.”
Having acknowledged that Ireland would have been better off if their first-choice No 10 had been available, Laidlaw added that the enforced change of personnel would not have a significant impact on Scotland’s own preparations.
“It won’t affect us. We’ve done some in-depth analysis, and we have a game plan we believe can give us the best possible chance of winning. Clearly we’ll need to know Ireland’s personnel inside and out. Now that they’re making a change at 10 we’ll adjust.”
The loss of Sexton will increase the focus on Murray, who courted controversy last month by claiming that Glasgow players had deliberately targeted his standing leg when he was attempting to kick clear in the Champions Cup tie between the sides at Scotstoun. Warriors coach Gregor Townsend denied the claims, and yesterday Laidlaw agreed that the challenges on Murray were well within the bounds of acceptability.
“Glasgow did everything within the rules of the game,” the scrum-half added. “You’re always going to get that as a nine or ten – you will get pressure on you.
“Glasgow got a charge-down in that game. They are not trying to deliberately injure a player and Matt Taylor [the Warriors and Scotland assistant] is not that type of coach. We’ll be putting pressure on him, sure we will. He’s not going to come to Murrayfield and get an armchair ride.”
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