Battle at 10.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has revealed Munster outhalf Joey Carbery didn’t make the matchday squad for the Italy game because he picked up a hamstring strain in training.

Many were hopeful Carbery would get a rare start against Italy after his impressive showing against Scotland, but it’s not to be with Johnny Sexton starting and Jack Carty providing cover off the bench.

“Joey Carbery has a bit of a hamstring strain and wouldn’t really have been available. It would have been too great a risk.” Schmidt said

But had Carbery been fit for this weekend would he have got the nod over Sexton? Turns out no he wouldn’t as Schmidt feels the World Player of the Year needs minutes more than the Munster man.

“I think he [Sexton] probably would have started anyway to be honest” Schmidt said when asked would a fit Carbery have started.

“He’s had one game and 23 minutes since the Munster game. So he’s had very little game time.”

“Whereas Joey has been really resilient so far this season and has had a lot of game time. And he obviously got the bulk of the game time in Edinburgh [against Scotland].