With Toby Flood kept in the England camp, the Leicester director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, has handed a rare start to Flood's 19-year old fly-half understudy, George Ford.
Ulster's Paddy Jackson would be the front-runner to start in Sexton's absence after filling the fly-half understudy role last season.
Madigan was intent on proving he could run a game from fly-half and understudy Jonathan Sexton, one of those wrapped in cotton wool so far, as well as being second play-maker at inside-centre.
Coco weighs two and a half pounds; her understudy (plus ça change) is heavier.
The performers in most new plays produced at major American theaters could fit inside a Volkswagen Bug, along with the understudies and half the front row.
Scrum-half Gareth Davies will understudy Racing Metro's Mike Phillips.
A concern I do have is an understudy to fly-half Steven Myler.
He was cast to understudy the role of Eugene in "Broadway Bound," half of "The Neil Simon Plays," but the other half closed early, and his production never happened.
After a half-hour break the show went on with an understudy.
Doubts also still hang over scrum-half Ben Youngs following his summer knee operation, with his understudy Danny Care already ruled out.
But fly-half is a clear weakness for Italy and Allan's understudy has even less experience.
