Johnny Sexton insists he’s ‘here to help’ Finn Russell regardless of previous Lions complaint

Johnny Sexton has insisted he’s “here to help” Finn Russell in his capability as British & Irish Lions assistant trainer, after the pair shook palms and cleared the air ultimate month following the previous Ireland captain’s earlier complaint of the Scotland fly-half.

Sexton toured with the Lions in 2013 and 2017 however was once a marvel omission from Warren Gatland’s squad in 2021. In his autobiography, the previous Ireland captain published how the snub “kills me to this day” and described Russell as a “media darling” ahead of suggesting in a next interview that he was once “flashy”.

Sexton, who retired after the 2023 World Cup, was once added in April to Andy Farrell’s training body of workers for the excursion of Australia this summer time, making for a doubtlessly awkward reunion with Russell, who’s the favorite to start out at fly-half within the three-Test collection in opposition to the Wallabies.

The pair had a temporary catch-up on the first squad get-together ultimate month, on the other hand, with Russell explaining lately that the air have been cleared. “We ended up having a laugh about the whole thing,” Russell mentioned. “I certainly don’t bear a grudge against him and we move on.”

Sexton is adamant that he’s going to do all he can to help Russell – who joined the Lions squad in Dublin on Monday after celebrating Bath’s Premiership ultimate victory on Sunday – within the coming weeks.

“It’s probably been blown out of proportion, really,” he mentioned. “I was talking about myself in 2021 and how I felt back then. And it was more really about what I thought Gatland was thinking as opposed to what I was thinking. But look, you have to deal with these types of challenges. It won’t be the last time. We had a handshake and a brief chat. He was racing off because those guys who were playing in finals didn’t stay too long.

“I’m looking forward to catching up with him [Russell] later. What the Lions demands of you is that if there is a rivalry – which there’s not, but if there was – you leave it at the door. I’m here to help him now. I’m here to give him experiences. I’m here to answer questions. I’m not here to force myself on him or tell him what to do. It’s not that relationship. I’m here to help.”

Along with Russell, Bath’s Will Stuart and Leicester’s Ollie Chessum have additionally joined the squad, in addition to 12 Leinster gamers following their URC ultimate victory, that means handiest Toulouse’s Blair Kinghorn is absent from the 38-man traveling celebration. Tadhg Furlong, who has no longer performed since early May, joined coaching on Monday, whilst Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park sat out the morning consultation together with James Ryan, who went off with a again harm on Saturday.

After offering duvet ultimate week on the coaching camp in Portugal, Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour are due again in England’s coaching camp on Tuesday and may not be thought to be for the Lions’ warm-up fit in opposition to Argentina on Friday. Henry Arundell has been left out from the England squad getting ready for the fit on Saturday in opposition to a France XV, on the other hand, having been known as into coaching ultimate week. Six Bath gamers and 3 from Leicester were decided on after the overall ultimate Saturday, together with the person of the fit, Guy Pepper.

Owen Farrell in the meantime has finished his go back to Saracens after only a season with Racing 92. The 33-year-old has joined on an preliminary two-year deal ahead of making the anticipated transfer to the training body of workers at his boyhood membership after Saracens agreed a reimbursement package deal of round €200,000 (£170,000).