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8th March 2022
11:07am GMT

Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton, left, stands alongside team-mates Andrew Conway and Tadhg Furlong. (Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)[/caption]
"He’s an outstanding operator. He’s obviously got a thirst for playing rugby and he’s got the advantage of being looked after by his province. If he was playing anywhere else in the world it would probably be a bit more difficult but because they’ve got the Leinster-Ireland connection, he’s allowed to have the optimal [preparation] for international rugby. "And he's a durable guy. How many times have we seen it look like he’s got a terrible injury and he comes back and plays well. It is testament to his desire and to the way that Ireland have set up their rugby."So, amongst the praise, highlighting how Sexton is 'looked after' by Leinster and how he often goes down for what looks like 'a terrible injury', only to play on. It is a lot tamer than the salvos Jones fired in his first Six Nations campaign as England head coach, back in 2016. Back then, he referred to Sexton getting "whiplash" injuries and openly mused that the outhalf's parents 'would be worried about that'. Asked, back then, if it would be "unfair" to target Sexton in defence, and send big ball-carriers straight down the 10 channel, Jones was indignant.
“We target players all the time. That's part of rugby is it not? Is there some sort of special law there? There are 15 players out there. Are we supposed to not run at one player? Hang on, hang on, he's got a red dot on his head, we don't run at him? "We want to win," he added, "and you win a game of rugby by attacking their weak points and to say that's unfair is just ridiculous.”Sexton and Jones, as opposition outhalf and England coach, have faced off six times in Test rugby. The record is 3-3. Sexton will be desperate to edge ahead and keep up the pressure on France.
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