Ireland outhalf Johnny Sexton concedes that he's still not feeling himself after last month's clash of heads with team mate Rob Kearney which now looks to have ruled him out for the start of Ireland's Six Nation's campaign.
The Racing Metro 92 player suffered a concussion during Ireland's autumn international victory over Australia in November and has been advised to rest for 12 weeks by Parisian neurologist Dr Jean-Francois Cherman, meaning he will miss the start of Ireland's Six Nations championship defence against Italy.
“It is most unfortunate and I feel bad for the club,” said Sexton. “But I’m still not feeling 100 per cent, and with injuries like this it’s not worth taking any risks.
“Today I’m feeling very disappointed for the club and my teammates that I won’t be able to contribute to the team for such a long period.
“But I’ll make sure I come back better than ever, and hopefully make up for lost time when I’m fit to do so.”
The club’s co-coach Laurent Labit admitted that it’s always difficult when you are “deprived of a player of Jonny’s class.
“His health is more important than whether we win or lose. We have deep respect for the players’ health. We just hope that we will come back fully fit to end the season on a high for the Ciel et Blanc.”
On Friday morning Racing Metro assistant coach Ronan O’Gara said Sexton has suffered headaches while running and passing during some training sessions.
Sexton’s injury, ironically, came from a clash with team-mate Rob Kearney. He had also suffered a knock to the head in the warm-up to the Wallabies games and he has struggled in training sessions ever since.
“At this stage he’s not anywhere near returning to play anyway, in terms of he has headaches passing a ball and running, so that’s not a good sign ,” said O’Gara. “It’s in everyone’s interests, particularly us as coaches, to make sure everything is right before he even contemplates going back on a pitch.
“I think one in three sessions is troublesome at the minute, he does two or three sessions of no symptoms but without doing contact that would obviously worry you.
“So you’d have to feel he has a substantial way to go before he’s even contemplating even hitting a tackle shield.”
O’Gara also alluded to the current prevalence of the issue of head injuries in France.
“It’s just important obviously, it’s very topical in France at the minute in the Top 14. There’s people doing road tours of I suppose concussion, not to say victims but cases, and some of the stories we have witnessed have been hugely frightening.
“I think Johnny got to see them so he’s making sure that he doesn’t fall into any of those traps of trying to return too early to play and cause himself long-term damage.”
