Sexton hero of the hour once more

IF JONATHAN Sexton had been driving the coach that transported the Leinster players, wives, girlfriends, partners and children to the official homecoming at the RDS to celebrate Saturday’s Heineken Cup victory over the Northampton Saints at the Millennium stadium, there’s little doubt it would have arrived on time.

Given Sexton’s man of the match performance, a personal tally of 28 points from the team’s total of 33 and his now fabled half-time team pep talk that galvanised Leinster to recover from a 16-point deficit, cutting a swathe through the remnants of the traffic from the State funeral of Dr Garret FitzGerald in nearby Donnybrook would have been a mere bagatelle.

The Leinster squad were due to leave their Riverview base in Clonskeagh at 4.45pm for a journey that usually would take five minutes but which took a more circuitous route past the Aviva stadium yesterday, arriving at the RDS at 5.11pm to the delight of a mainly youthful crowd of about 2,000 that had assembled to welcome home the European champions.

The supporters were entertained by a band, footage of the second half of Saturday’s match, team mascot Leo the Lion and RTÉ radio rugby commentator Michael Corcoran, the latter acting as MC for the evening, as they awaited the team. The team’s anthem, Welcome to the Jungle, heralded the champions’ arrival and there was a lovely moment when Owen Cullen, team captain Leo’s younger sibling, was greeted by a huge roar, mistaken for his brother, much to his embarrassment.

Lord Mayor Gerry Breen marked the occasion with a few words before departing players Nathan Hines, Stan Wright, Shaun Berne and Stephen Keogh (the latter in absentia) were presented with commemorative glassware before the players got on with the serious business of mercilessly ribbing Sexton at every opportunity.

Having landed in Dublin at midnight on Saturday, they attended a reception for family and friends at the Burlington Hotel before whiling away the small hours at Krystle nightclub. It explained why several players wore shades; as much a protection from the glare as the sunshine.

Some players were invited to take the microphone, beckoned to the front of the stage at the vocal behest of the supporters. Wright replicated his crazy legs postmatch dance, and Isa Nacewa, Jamie Heaslip, Shane Horgan and Seán O’Brien all took the microphone, but it was Sexton’s arrival to answer a few questions that prompted the biggest cheer.

He answered with typical modesty, deflecting the verbal bouquets but his teammates were keen to make him squirm, especially with regard to his half-time oration. Hines confirmed that coach Joe Schmidt “had passed all responsibility over to Sexto”. Brian O’Driscoll spoke about the “Jonny Sexton Cup”, but it was team captain Cullen that drew the loudest laughter when asked what the outhalf had spoken about.

He confirmed: “We were all lifted by Sexto’s wise words. He basically said just give the ball to me all the time and I will win it for us. He was right though.”

As The Boys Are Back in Townblared, the players signed autographs, aware another final beckons on Saturday at Thomond Park and an opportunity to celebrate on the double.