Sexton Expects Ireland To Make Changes For Japan

Ireland adjunct Johnny Sexton anticipates changes successful unit for Saturday's crippled against Japan successful Dublin aft nan play nonaccomplishment to New Zealand.

The brushwood pinch Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms is nan first of 3 upcoming games astatine nan Aviva Stadium connected consecutive Saturdays, pinch matches against Australia and South Africa to travel successful consequent weeks.

Sexton says squad rotation will play a portion successful squad action for nan gathering pinch Japan, but immoderate players whitethorn suffer their starting berth successful caput coach Andy Farrell's broadside arsenic a consequence of under-par performances successful nan nonaccomplishment to nan All Blacks.

"It'll beryllium a spot of giving guys a chance for sure, immoderate of it will beryllium selection, guys getting a chance because others didn't play that good astatine nan weekend," said Sexton.

"It's ever a substance and we request to make judge we prime a squad that goes retired and tries to triumph nan game. It's an important crippled for us, arsenic each these games are, pinch respect to rankings and pinch nan World Cup tie coming up.

"Picking a squad to triumph first and foremost, but astatine nan aforesaid clip Andy knows that successful 2 years' clip we're going to a World Cup and we request to person 40 players fresh to go."

Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey is simply a uncertainty for Saturday's crippled aft being forced disconnected successful nan 2nd half astatine Soldier Field pinch a groin wounded and his fittingness is being monitored passim nan week.

"He [McCloskey] was fantabulous for nan clip that he was connected nan pitch. It's unfortunate for him that he picked up a small strain but I don't deliberation it's excessively bad," reflected nan erstwhile Ireland fly-half.

"He's doing a spot of activity pinch nan physios coming [Tuesday] while nan remainder of america were training truthful hoping that he will beryllium backmost involved, whether it's this week aliases adjacent week I'm not sure.

"I haven't heard from Andy yet but he was very awesome connected nan pitch. He started nan play amazingly good and it's awesome for america to person different centre successful nan mix."

Sexton said nan Ireland campy was "pretty disappointed" successful nan aftermath of nan reverse astatine nan hands of New Zealand and nan past fewer days had provided clip for reflection connected what went incorrect and what could beryllium improved.

"We consciousness we prepared really good complete nan past 2 weeks and we didn't get it retired location connected Saturday which is nan astir disappointing thing.

"We prepared decently and we had a bully scheme but we didn't rather execute it. The players person been beautiful unfastened and honorable and arsenic coaches we've discussed it complete nan past mates of days and figured retired why.

"That's nan astir important thing, we've sewage to return nan learnings from it and make judge it doesn't hap again."

The 40-year-old says a operation of factors led to Ireland's demise against nan three-time World Cup winners.

"It's a batch of things, it can't beryllium conscionable 1 thing, it's a small spot of everything. A mates of penalties, a mates of inaccuracies successful our attack, a mates of kicks, a mates of missed tackles.

"It's trying to move nan page and taking nan lessons. Andy [Farrell] is ever very bully astatine that. We move connected beautiful speedy but he besides keeps america accountable and makes america realise that it wasn't bully enough.

"Sometimes it tin hap for illustration that and we understand that and sometimes you tin put it down to prep, did guys return their oculus disconnected nan shot a bit, but it conscionable didn't spell to scheme connected nan time but we've sewage immoderate bully reasons for that now and we'll make judge it doesn't hap again."