
Share
11th February 2016
01:01pm GMT

"We were trying to clarify the fitness of Simon Zebo and Keith Earls... they got through training but we just felt they were not 100%... "Normally we name the team before training, they would be fully fit and everyone would have absolute clarity on their roles. It's frustrating."The Kiwi said Ireland's preparations have been hindered by the six-day turnaround to this match. "We trained for 32 minutes on Tuesday and 63 minutes this morning. Our preparations have been limited," said Schmidt. Schmidt confirmed that Johnny Sexton is fully fit after some 'neck compression' sustained against Wales. The head coach said Paddy Jackson would not be travelling as a reserve for the side. "We've won twice ever in France. I don't think you could ever go to France confident as an Irish player," says Sexton. Ireland's match with France kicks off at 2:25 [Irish time] on Saturday.
Explore more on these topics: