Ireland captain Johnny Sexton was reported fit in the second Test of his three-game streak against New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday.
Sexton was sent off with a suspected concussion in the 19-42 loss to the All Blacks in the series opener in Auckland last weekend, but Ireland assistant coach Mike Catt confirmed the 36-year-old will be available for selection.
“Johnny is fine,” Catt told reporters Tuesday.
“Johnny is fit, Johnny has passed every test he has to pass so we think he’s good to go.”
Sexton was not allowed to return to the field on Saturday after failing an initial head injury assessment (HIA).
After the game, however, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell refused to rule out Sexton from the rest of the series as the flyhalf had passed the second of three HIAs.
While relieved that Sexton would be available at the weekend, Catt also praised his replacement Joe Carbery’s performance in Auckland.
“[Sexton is]a huge cog in there, but I think Joe came along and did well,” Catt said.
“We got back up and that’s what touring is about, our ability to adapt to what’s thrown at us and I think we’ve done pretty well at that. So I hope it continues like this.”