JOHNNY NO GO GO

It’s dismay for Sexton as questions over fitness count against him while Ryan also misses out

EIGHT Irish Lions but the national skipper and the pack leader are not among them.

Even accounting for the surprise inclusion of Bundee Aki and Jack Conan, Johnny Sexton’s omission for a third straight Lions tour after playing a starring role in Australia and New Zealand was the big news for Irish rugby fans.

It’s a real shame for the driven out-half, who turns 36 when the Lions are hitting their straps in South Africa in July, given his desire to be a part of it all.

The events of the past few weeks have cost him dearly.

Warren Gatland claims that a third head knock in two months in the Champions Cup quarter-final in Exeter didn’t force his hand to go with inferior out-halves in Dan Biggar and Finn Russell.

However, his assistant, Scotland’s head coach Gregor Townsend, admitted: “We just feel with the injuries Johnny has picked up and what’s in front of all of us, this last injury has probably counted against him.”

Gatland predicts the Lions are facing the kind of brutal physical challenge that was the hallmark of the last tour to South Africa in 2009.

“He was outstanding against Scotland, great against England. He is a quality player,” said Gatland of Sexton, after announcing his 37-man squad.

“It wasn’t about concussion for me. We made a tough call about durability.

“We went back and yeah, he played the Six Nations. But the thing with the Six Nations is that you have a couple of games and then you get a week off because it’s really tough.

“He’s been rested on a number of occasions for Leinster or Ireland, but the last time Johnny played three consecutive weekends in a row was 2018. And he has had some knocks, but he’s had a number of different injuries.

“I just wanted to send a message to the guys we’ve selected that we have complete confidence in you to do a job.

“This is mitigating against the risk that if we picked Johnny and he doesn’t play games, doesn’t get through the tour, then having to call someone in... for me, it’s such an important position I just wanted to get that right and get that message right.”

Townsend added: “He’s still an outstanding player on his day and he has shown that this season. Obviously he’ll be very disappointed.”

There are 18 new Lions and, from being touted as a potential captain last summer, James Ryan isn’t even among them.

The 24-year-old’s stellar career rise stalled when he needed shoulder surgery as rugby was coming out of the lockdown and he hasn’t reached his previous heights since then. It wasn’t a massive surprise that he missed out, though Exeter’s Jonny Hill profiting – despite Leinster’s recent Champions Cup victory – was an interesting choice.

Ultimately, Gatland assessed, Ryan was dominated in big European club games against Saracens and La Rochelle. Predictions for a similar type of challenge from the Springboks did for the Dubliner.