Search icon

Sport

04th Nov 2013

Sexton passed fit, but Earls ruled out of Samoan game

It was mixed news on the injuries front ahead of Saturday’s game with Samoa with Johnny Sexton declared fit, but Munster wing Keith Earls ruled out.

JOE

It was mixed news on the injuries front ahead of Saturday’s game with Samoa with Johnny Sexton declared fit, but Munster wing Keith Earls ruled out.

The opening Autumn international will be key as Samoa lie one place ahead of Ireland in the IRB rankings and it had looked unlikely that Sexton would feature, indeed Joe Schmidt conceded that the out-half looked “flat” last week in camp.

However he was an unused substitute in Racing Metro’s 9-6 defeat at Biarritz and coach Laurent Travers told Midi Olympique that he was not used as Sexton declared himself unfit before the game after injuring his hip during the warm-up.

Thankfully from an Irish perspective team manager Mick Kearney has said he will be available for selection, but in-form Munster winger Earls has been ruled out with patellar tendonitis of the knee, commonly known as “jumper’s knee”.

Paul O’Connell (calf), Seán O’Brien (ankle), Cian Healy (knee) and Robbie Henshaw (hip) are expected to train fully and there was good news for Donncha O’Callaghan as he signed a two-year deal with Munster that will take him up to the summer of 2016.

The 34 year-old has 94 international caps and made his Munster debut back in August ’98 against Edinburgh Reivers and looks set to overhaul Ronan O’Gara this season as the most capped Munster player of all-time.