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Published 10:43 5 Jul 2022 BST
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Johnny Sexton during Ireland rugby squad training at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland. (Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)[/caption]
Can you just confirm that Johnny Sexton is okay, and can play this weekend? MC: Johnny is fine. There seems to have been some confusion around the HIAs, and World Rugby's rulings. Are you able to clarify some of those things? MC: Not really, no. That's not my... I don't work for World Rugby, unfortunately! Johnny is fit. Johnny has passed every test that he has needed to pass. So, from my point of view, he's good to go. He's going to be training? MC: He's good to go. He's good to go, for Saturday.Asked by the same reporter how much of a "relief" it is to have the primary outhalf and captain available for Ireland's Second Test, Catt said, "He is a massive cog in there, but I think Joey came in and did well." Sexton was pictured in training with the Ireland squad, at North Harbour Stadium, on Tuesday and TV footage before the full, off-camera session showed him taking part in the warm-up drills. On Saturday, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell had suggested the current HIA process, during games, is not an exact science. He commented:
"You can stumble in your studs, you know, and not go [back] on."Asked about experienced second row campaigner Sam Whitelock missing out on Saturday's match, in Dunedin, Catt said it was 'a big blow' for New Zealand. "Sam has played some amazing games for them, and he's a brilliant rugby player," Catt added, "but we're under no illusion that the next guy stepping in, behind him, is not that far from Sam. So, again, it is us focusing on our processes, and getting our accuracy right." Processes and accuracy. The key words Ireland were drilling home. This has been a summer in which other nations are being proactive with concussed players, especially those with histories of head injuries. Wales and England have, respectively, sent Tomas Francis and Tom Curry home from their tours to South Africa and Australia. Both men left games with concussions, on Saturday. Ireland have two players currently going through that 12-day stand-down period - prop Jeremy Loughman and hooker Dave Heffernan - after confirmed concussions. Both will hope to be back in contention for the games at the end of the tour.
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