Pain will benefit us in long haul: Sexton
IRELAND captain Johnny Sexton believes Andy Farrell’s coaching team have done a “fantastic job” and is convinced the team will reap long-term benefits following their worst start to a Guinness Six Nations campaign.
Defeat to tournament favourites France on February 14 effectively ended Irish title hopes just two games in.
Fly-half Sexton admits parts of his country’s performance in the 15-13 reverse fell short of international standard.
Yet the 35-year-old, who sat out that game due to a head injury suffered in the opening weekend loss in Wales but is fit to return against Italy on Saturday, remains optimistic for the future under head coach Farrell.
“Very early on in the French game there were a few chances that we needed to shift the ball and there were other times when we shifted it well into space and then the space closed up and we should have put it in behind,” said Sexton.
“There are lots of examples that we have gone through as a team and said that it wasn’t good enough for international standard. And, despite all of those things, we still came within a penalty away from winning.
“The things we can control is being better at seeing the space and when we do create the opportunities that we make the most of them and are clinical. It will be the same against Italy.
“The coaches have come in, they’ve done a fantastic job, it’s very different to what it was before but we will be better for this going forward, of that I am convinced.”
JAMES Maddison has been ruled out of Leicester’s crucial Europa League clash with Slavia Prague.
The England international is unlikely to need surgery but has been in London seeing a specialist over his hip injury.
Maddison, who came off during Sunday’s 2-1 win at Aston Villa, sat out the end of last season and needed an operation on his hip in July.
Boss Brendan Rodgers said ahead of tonight’s tie: “He won’t be available. He is in consultation with our doctor and some specialists, we are just trying to see where we’re at.
“We don’t believe he needs more surgery. It’s irritable where he’s had the issue before. We’re confident he doesn’t need anything surgical. We’re just having to get a specialist’s opinion to formulate a plan for his recovery.”
Leicester host Slavia in the second leg of their last-32 clash after drawing 0-0 in Prague last week.
They are aiming to reach the last-16 and Youri Tielemans believes he is in the perfect place to win silverware as he confirmed he is open to signing a new deal.
Rodgers said earlier this month the club would look to offer Tielemans a new contract even with the Belgium international still tied to the Foxes until 2023.
Tielemans is the Foxes’ record signing after joining from Monaco for around £35m in 2019 and is happy to stay at the King Power.
He said: “Why not? This is a club where you have the best environment you can have. The people around you just want the best. It’s brilliant to be here. We’ll see what’s coming in the future but the environment is perfect to win trophies.
“You can’t predict the future but everything around and inside the club is made for it.”
It will be Tielemans’ 41st game of the season for club and country and, while the 23-year-old admits he is tired, he knows Leicester are in pole position to progress.
He said: “We knew it was going to be like this, especially this season, the games are coming very fast. I’m not going to lie and say, ‘I’m not tired at some point’.
“You can feel the fatigue, but when the game is on you forget about everything. The position we’re in is okay, we’ve been away and didn’t concede. Even though we didn’t score we have got everything in our hands.”