Sexton relieved to have passed a defining test

Johnny Sexton, right eye almost welded shut with six stitches around the purple bubble, spoke to the print media late on Saturday night.

Here’s an abbreviated version of the interview with Ireland’s outhalf.

Aware that France and particularly Mathieu Bastareaud would target you?

“Yeah, they obviously said it in the press during the week, what they were going to do, which is probably what we would have expected anyway.

“We were ready for them. We threw Tommy (Bowe) inside me off a couple of lineouts, a little bit of extra bodies in there to take the big man down.

“So I thought we dealt with him quite well, most of the time. But he’s a really difficult guy to stop.”

Was your vision affected by the 45th minute head clash (both players needed six stitches)?

“That was the only thing I was worried about when I came off. I got slit one time before and I couldn’t really see out of that side but it didn’t happen. The doctors did a great job and I was fine.

“Head-wise I felt great. I was really happy. I was almost pleased to get a bang like that so it proves to myself there is no issue going forward. It’s just great to put it to bed now.

“I wanted to get back out quickly but after the stitches they had to do the head injury assessment so it took longer than it normally would (ten minutes) which was maybe a blessing in hindsight because I was able to last the full 80 and have a little break in there.”

Short turnaround

Sexton is almost certain to start for Racing Metro 92 in Clermont this weekend.

“Well I need game time, don’t I? I think I’ve been away for 12 weeks and I did feel a bit rusty at times tonight, so I think I’ll be better with another 50 or 60 minutes.

“And then we play England on Sunday and there’s a short turnaround for Racing’s next game against Grenoble, so that will be one that maybe we’ll have to manage in terms of if I play three games on the bounce, whereas at the moment I’m mad keen to get back and get some more game time under my belt.”

At what point during the enforced three-month lay-off were the concussion concerns allayed?

“Probably around week four or five, I was starting to feel much better... I felt like I probably could have played after three weeks but I had some mild symptoms and the doctor just said that rather than going back and risking another knock and then having potentially a more serious problem, just take the 12 weeks.

“In hindsight it was probably the right decision. It wasn’t easy to take but the couple of bangs I took tonight proved that the rest did me good and I think if I got them nine weeks ago, it might have been a different situation.”

Aware of the concern about you returning to immediately play a Test match?

“Joe had a word with me yesterday, that he couldn’t really believe it.

"I had been out of the game for 12 weeks. One guy said that I shouldn't play because Bastareaud is playing? Like, well then I can never play because next week I'm going to have to play against Fritz Lee. The week after I'll have to play against Luther Burrell and (Billy) Vunipola.

"It's absolute stupidity to say that I shouldn't play because Bastareaud was playing. Joe Schmidt gets told by the doctors who is fit and whose not and I don't know why he got brought into it by this fella who seems to have an opinion on everything."

Sexton was referring to Laurent Bénézech, a former French international and author of Rugby, où sont tes valeurs? ('Rugby, where are your values'), where he raised concerns about supplement use in rugby and possible doping.

Test him

The concussion issue, do you understand the concerns of parents?

“Yeah, of course I understand the concern...I was one hundred per cent fit today. I proved it with that bang on the head and I felt absolutely fine after it.”

Earlier, the gentle spirit that is Mathieu Bastareaud wandered into the mixed zone.

“We are best friends now,” he smiles.

“We love each other. After his long rest we tried to test him but today he had a lot of bodyguards.”