Johnny Sexton's hamstring/injury. Worst timing ever? [color=red]**Now with added foot Injury**[/color]

Paddy Jackson has come in and done a very decent job in difficult circumastances. Sexton is the senior player an excellent fly half but I think there is an argument to be made that as Jackson is the player in posession, the jersey is his to lose. Sexton has had hamstring injuries in the past and has been eased back in at Leinster with Nacewa or McFadden given the kicking duties for a couple of games. Ireland do not have the luxury of a kicking option outside of 10.
Beyond the Six Nations, Sexton will be slugging it out in the Amlin at the tail end of the season while Jackson will be in the Heineken spotlight. He's also off to France at the end of the season and the IRFU don't like picking players outside of their control especially if Madigan starts well as the senior 10 for Leinster.
Is it possible Sexton could lose his Ireland place and see his Lions ambitions ruined by a minor injury at the worst possible time?

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Looks as though Sexton could be out for a long period with what sounds like a very nast injury, Torn tendon in his foot.http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/six-nations/2013/0314/376604-ireland-set-to-name-team-for-italy-at-lunchtime/

I don't think Sexton is even injured, I think he knows theres such little competition for his lions jersey he's just playing it safe until he's in Oz.

Farell is doing similar, better to not be playing than playing poorly at this time of the 6N, Amlin latter stages with Leinster will be a far better platform to play well.

Or am I just being cynical?

Have you never had a hamstring tear Blues? Very difficult to feign. When the muscle fibres tear you can feel a little hole where the damage has been done.
I don't know if you're cynical but I would say you may have trust issues.

Never torn my own hammy, seen the odd reaction to a tear though

But then a hamstring tear can take months to heal alone, I was under the impression he was only out for a few weeks, so a pretty minor injury.

Different grades. Think he had a grade 2 which is two to three weeks which would benefit from not having to take kicks for another few weeks.

So coincidentally his 6N is over, rest for a few weeks then back for the Amlin...

Sextons Irish place is at risk. Hes the best there at the moment but there are contenders emerging. He'll have to watch his back with Jackson emerging. Ian Madigan has the talent to overtake both of them.

Sexton is the best at the moment but with
Jackson, Madigan, JJ, Olding, Keatley and maybe McKinney there are a bunch of players coming through who will be snapping at his heels in the next few years.

He needs to stay sharp - all those listed wont make the grade but some will

Unlikely I know but what if:
Jackson starts against Italy and has another good showing kicking his goals. Sexton starts on the bench in his next Leinster game and Madigan plays a stormer. Madigan remains no1 given Jonny is off to France.
With little big match exposure up to Lions selection time does he travel at all?

So Jonny was gonna start after all but as can so often happen he gets struck down by another injury just as he is recovering from the first.
Or maybe he's making this one up as well.

I'm really disappointed for Sexton, I felt like this was his big chance to stake a claim for a Lions place and was hoping he could have a big game. I still think he travels though, based on the international performances he's produced against Wales and Argentina. He's only really started 3 test matches this season so hasn't had much chance to really seal a place but even in those 3 games I think he's done just enough.

I do feel relatively optimistic that Murray and Jackson is a combination that can control the game for us if we get the basics right up front, like they did very well for the first 40 last week. I don't feel too crushed for Ireland that Sextons out. I think with the way Jackson has gone since coming in we can cope.