{"id":24995,"date":"2022-02-01T12:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T17:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24995"},"modified":"2022-02-02T14:01:58","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T19:01:58","slug":"sexton-were-preparing-for-a-big-tough-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24995","title":{"rendered":"Sexton: We\u2019re Preparing For A Big, Tough Test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Johnny Sexton in Ireland Rugby Squad Training at the Sport Ireland Campus in Abbotstown (INPHO\/Dan Sheridan)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton\u00a0has expressed his belief that the 2022 Guinness Six Nations Championship will be one of the most competitive in the tournament\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Farrell\u2019s\u00a0men welcome defending champions Wales to the Aviva Stadium in the first round this Saturday (kick-off 9.15am ET), on the back of an unbeaten march through the recent Autumn Nations Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scotland enjoyed impressive away wins over England and France during last year\u2019s Six Nations, while the English are expected to be back in the shake-up after a frustrating campaign last time out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The race for the Championship crown seems too tight to call at this remove and Sexton is wary of all the challenges that Ireland will face in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve really only focused on our first game, but you look across the competition and when the squads were being announced. All the teams are coming off the back of a good November,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of teams from last year\u2019s Six Nations will maybe feel that they could have done a little bit better. Wales having won it, probably felt they should have won a Grand Slam, but then there\u2019s a few other teams in there going, \u2018if we\u2019d started the tournament a bit better\u2026\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of teams in that boat. I think when you put it like that, I think teams will be coming in with big aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven a team like Italy, where they\u2019ve got a coach (Kieran Crowley<\/strong>) that they know so well from having success with Treviso. I think they\u2019ll be much better this time as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite winning their second Championship in three seasons last March, Wales\u2019 extensive list of absentees \u2013 13 players are due to miss the start of the tournament through injury \u2013 has led many people to cast doubts over their title aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Sexton, a Six Nations debutant back in 2010, knows better than to write off the chances of their Celtic rivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We haven\u2019t spoken too much about who Wales are missing. We spoke about who they\u2019ve got. They played November with a lot of the same injuries and picked up some good results and good performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey had some injuries through the Six Nations last year and they ended up winning it. We haven\u2019t spoken about it too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll we\u2019re doing is preparing to play against a very good Welsh team that has had a great run of form over the last year. That is honestly what we\u2019ve seen. We see a big, tough test ahead and that\u2019s what we\u2019re preparing for.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe guys that are injured, of course, have big reputations because they\u2019ve played multiple Tests for their country. They\u2019ve performed week in, week out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese other guys that are coming in are at the start of their journey and could go on to have the same careers as the guys ahead of them. There\u2019s not one ounce of complacency in our squad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the absence of\u00a0Alun Wyn Jones, and some other potential candidates, Northampton Saints out-half\u00a0Dan Biggar\u00a0has been chosen by head coach\u00a0Wayne Pivac\u00a0as Wales captain during this window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sexton and his opposite number developed a strong bond together on the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017 and he was thrilled to see him being selected as Welsh skipper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had some great battles over the years. Dan\u2019s a good pal of mine. The captaincy is something that he deserves thoroughly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s led from the front since probably 2015 when he made the jersey his own and he\u2019s been a mainstay of the team. I\u2019m looking forward to coming up against him on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s improved his game immensely over the years. I think his move to Northampton, working with different coaches, you can see the improvements in his game. He\u2019s a world class operator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been preparing for him all week and obviously they\u2019ve got some really good number 10s, that will be backing him up, that we need to be ready for if they come on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ireland squad have spent the past number of days at The Campus facility in Quinta do Lago in Portugal, being put through in their paces in preparation for the challenge that Wales will bring in the Championship opener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, given they have won their last eight matches on the bounce, Sexton acknowledged there is an overwhelmingly positive mood in the camp, adding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It helps when you\u2019ve come off the back of a good November. A very happy camp. We\u2019ve spoken about trying to take it to a new level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has been a fantastic environment to be a part of over the last two years. It has really changed, but we\u2019ve figured out ways to push it on and make it better in terms of our performances as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been working hard, don\u2019t get me wrong. It hasn\u2019t all been slapping each other on the back. It has been tough work over here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re into the proper preparation of a Test week now and we will be good to go when we leave here on Wednesday.\u201d<\/p>\n

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