Johnny Sexton insists that he is ‘here to help’ Finn Russell despite earlier Lions criticism | British and Irish Lions

Johnny Sexton has urged him ‘here is to help Finn Russell’ in his capacity As British and Irish Lions Assistant CoachAfter the couple shaken the hand and had released the air last month after the earlier criticism of the former captain of Ireland on the Fly half of the Scotland.

Sexton toured with the Lions in 2013 and 2017, but was a surprising omission of the Warren Gatland team in 2021 in 2021. In his autobiography, the former captain of Ireland revealed how the snub ‘kills’ to this day and described Russell as a ‘lovers’ before he in a subsequent interview.

Sexton, who retired after the 2023 World Cup, was added to the coaching staff of Andy Farrell in April for the tour by Australia this summer, which ensures a potentially uncomfortable reunion with Russell, who is the favorite to start in the three-test series against the Wallabies.

The couple had a short catch-up last month at the first team meeting, with Russell who recently explained that the air had been erased. “We finally laughed at the whole thing,” said Russell. “I certainly don’t wear a resort to him and we’ll continue.”

Sexton is adamant to do everything he can do to help Russell – who is a member The Lions Squad In Dublin on Monday After celebrating Bath’s Premiership Final Victory On Sunday – in the coming weeks.

“It is probably really out of proportion,” he said. “I was talking about myself in 2021 and how I felt at the time. And it was really more about what I thought Gatland, contrary to what I thought. But look, you have to do with these kinds of challenges. It won’t be the last time. We had a handshake and a short chat. He racing because those boys were not too long.

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

Together with Russell, Will Stuart and Leicester’s Ollie Chessum also became members of the team, as well as 12 Leinster players Following their URC -Definitive victoryWhich means that only Toulouse’s Blair Kinghorn is absent at the 38-Man Touring party. Tadhg Furlong, who has not played since the beginning of May, joined the training on Monday, while Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park were the morning session together with James Ryan, who sustained a back injury on Saturday.

After giving coverage last week in the training camp in Portugal, Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour are back on Tuesday in the training camp of England and they will not be eligible for the warm-up match of the Lions against Argentina on Friday. Henry Arundell has been omitted from the English team who is preparing for the game on Saturday against a France XV, but last week in training. Six bath players and three from Leicester were selected after the final last Saturday, including the man of the game, Guy Pepper.

In the meantime, Owen Farrell has completed his return to Saracens after just a season with Racing 92. The 33-year-old has joined a first two-year-old deal before he made the expected switch to the coaching staff in his boys’ club after Saracens corresponded to a compensation package of around € 200,000 (£ 170,000).