Keith Wood and Andy Dunne would like to see Johnny Sexton make playing changes that ensure he stays influential to Ireland - and offer more 'variation' to the team.

On Wednesday Night Rugby, Dunne and Keith spoke eloquently on the playing style that has both attracted Sexton florid reviews and industrial tackles.

"While you don't want to take the aggression out of Johnny's game - and he asks a lot of questions by playing flat - but you can ask a lot of questions by introducing variation into your game," said Dunne.

"Sometimes playing flat and sometimes playing deep would bring variation into our game on the whole, because on the whole we don't have a lot.

"Joey Carbery plays deeper - he freed up space for Kearney on two or three occasions in the second half [against Scotland].

!We are not getting access to that with Johnny there at the moment because we are so flat to the line.

"Johnny is in the firing line physically for that - he is brave to a fault. I think for variation in our attack and self-preservation for him, I think he needs to drop back a bit.

"I don't think that is a defeat or a change of personality or anything like that."

Speaking from the experience that age alone can give, Keith elaborated on the balance of style and physical consideration needed after thirty years old.

"When we are talking about changing and not giving that pass [against Scotland, which saw Sexton tackled heavily afterwards] - I want him to give that pass, and get creamed at it, and we win a World Cup off the back of it, and he goes off injured. I think that's an acceptable time to get hurt!

"But I can tell you that every player that goes past thirty [...] changes their game. You change your game so you can be more effective.

"People say that it is about self-preservation and all that - it's not. It's about effectiveness on the field. If you are a better team with you on the field, you want to stay on the field and do more.

"You want your game moments to be magic to lead to scores and huge changes in games. Johnny Sexton does that all the time - there is no criticism of that.

"The problem is that when he does it, he gets battered and he goes off the field. I still want him on the field.

"Whatever structural change for how he goes about that to keep him on the field for 75 minutes... I would rather than that 25 minutes!"

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