Key player missing from Ireland squad set to take on France in Paris

Andy Farrell named his Ireland team to face France this morning, and the squad is without one key player.

Captain Johnny Sexton will miss Ireland’s clash with France on Saturday. Sexton will miss the clash with France due to a hamstring strain, the IRFU has confirmed. Sexton sustained the injury in training yesterday in preparation for the clash with France. Sexton is without a doubt a key player missing for Ireland.

Munster 10, Joey Carbery will start at outhalf for Ireland in the second round, with captain Sexton missing out. Connacht’s Jack Carty comes into the squad as cover off the bench.

This game will undoubtedly be a massive test for the relatively inexperienced 10s at Andy Farrell’s disposal on Saturday. Carbery and Carty could definitely be considered inexperienced when you compare their history with Ireland to Sexton’s.

Sexton had been a key player for Ireland for more than a decade, having first grabbed the opportunity to push Ronan O’Gara away from the setup back in 2009. 09’ was a pivotal season for Sexton when he won both the Magners League (now URC) and the Heineken Cup with Leinster for the first time.

Joey Carbery has had a horrible time with injury over the past two seasons. Carbery only made his return to playing in 2022 to the Ireland squad following a wrist injury he sustained playing for Munster against Wasps in the Champions Cup last December.

Connacht’s Jack Carty had been in flying form for the Western province all season guiding Connacht to big wins against Ulster, Munster and Stade Francais. The Connacht captain also played key roles in Connacht narrow defeats to Premiership leaders Leicester Tigers both home and away.

Ireland will still be looking to beat France in Paris for the first time since 2018, even though France are tipped by many as favorites for the Championship.