Ireland - Portugal behind doors training match

[UKHamlet]

I wonder WTF this is all about? Anyone got the inside track?

[UKHamlet]

I think it just might be THIS

"In a form of surgery inspired by the Human Centipede, in the darkest recesses of Portugal, Sexton has managed to merge with Roy Keane to reveal his final form: Joy Keensex"

[Son of Mathonwy]

As good an explanation as any.

It's certainly all about Sexton. He's that important, apparently.

[Sandydragon]

Disgraceful really. My understanding was that a ban should also include training sessions- they used to.

The message this farce sends to players is not a positive one.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Disgraceful really. My understanding was that a ban should also include training sessions- they used to.

The message this farce sends to players is not a positive one.

Bans haven't included training for ages. So I'm not really sure how "disgraceful" this is. It's not like Portugal are better than our seconds.

[Sandydragon]

Disgraceful really. My understanding was that a ban should also include training sessions- they used to.

The message this farce sends to players is not a positive one.

Bans haven't included training for ages. So I'm not really sure how "disgraceful" this is. It's not like Portugal are better than our seconds.

So play your seconds. This is bending the rules and Sexton is very lucky to be available at all.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Disgraceful really. My understanding was that a ban should also include training sessions- they used to.

The message this farce sends to players is not a positive one.

Bans haven't included training for ages. So I'm not really sure how "disgraceful" this is. It's not like Portugal are better than our seconds.

So play your seconds. This is bending the rules and Sexton is very lucky to be available at all.

How is it bending the rules? Seriously how? It's a training match behind closed doors. they'll probably have rolling subs. It's not like it's a "training match" which is uncapped and in front of a crowd of 50k with World Rugby refs.

As for whether Sexton should have got a longer ban. Maybe. He would have no one but himself to blame if he'd missed the entire RWC (or the games up to the QF as we like to call it). I'd have probably banned him for longer albeit it wasn't as bad as I first feared. But it's entirely irrelevant to the point.