Feek Backs Carty To Fill Sexton Role

Ireland assistant coach Greg Feek says he is confident Jack Carty can step into Johnny Sexton’s boots against Japan. After blowing Scotland away 27-3 in their World Cup opener, the world number one side now face the hosts in Fukuroi and know victory will all but seal their progress from Pool A.

Sexton’s thigh injury has prompted Joe Schmidt to rest his main playmaker and Carty has got the nod. The Connacht man has been involved in every match since making his debut against Italy in this year’s Six Nations. His starring role in the final warm-up win over Wales appears to have lifted him above Joey Carberry in the pecking order.

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Four years ago, Ireland found themselves stuck when Sexton was injured due to their over-,reliance on the Leinster star but Feek is confident it will not be the same scenario this time around. “You’ve got to get as much knowledge out of him (Sexton) as you can,” he said.

“You’ve got people around that can make him such a better player. “I think that shows, for me, the character of Jack really, ultimately it’s about him being able to come in and be overawed probably for the first few weeks. “Then obviously with Joe (Schmidt), his analysis on our own players is at a point where Jack wouldn’t have been in our squad all year, whether it’s on the bench or starting if he didn’t have the right tools to what we want need to do, and to understand the game and understand what fits our group and how best we may be able to play. “And then to soak up all the detail and be able to action that, and now it’s really just up to him. So I just need to give him a big pat on the back.”