Ireland v England: Johnny Sexton looks to exit Six Nations stage on a high note

It makes him feel distinctly uncomfortable that he has become the central figure in the storybook finale to this vintage Six Nations campaign. That’s because there’s a bigger picture for sure, and no one sees it more clearly than him, yet it’s also right and fitting that Saturday’s game is more than a little bit about Johnny Sexton.

One of Ireland’s true greats, perhaps the greatest of all, will be centre stage. His family, the home crowd and the Irish people watching events unfold on television will be willing him to have the perfect Six Nations send-off.

As fate would have it, and as an aside within an aside as it were, Sexton goes into his 60th and last Six Nations game level with Ronan O’Gara (who played in 63 games, but considerably more off the bench) as the Championship’s all-time leading point scorer on 557 points.

“People are slagging me about him taking the record. Sure, it’s absolutely fantastic that he’s taking the record. I’m 46. If you get 10 years out of a record it’s a fantastic feeling to have but I’m delighted that Johnny and me have represented the best of Irish rugby. That’s very powerful for me,” O’Gara told The Irish Times this week from his home in La Rochelle.

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“I’m delighted for Laura and I’m delighted for Johnny because there were times when he was doing it tough and he thought he was finished but he’s been beyond resilient. He’s looked in the mirror and he’s got the best out of himself, and that’s what I admire in the person, never mind the player.”

Even so, O’Gara laughs and observes: “Sure Owen Farrell is 40 points behind both of us, and he’s about five years left playing.”

“Johnny will pass my points scoring record for Ireland as well,” adds O’Gara, who sits 33 points above Sexton on 1,083. “But I scored over 1,000 points for Ireland and if you’re not happy with that then you’ve a major problem. Johnny Sexton goes by ye, fair play to him.

I think for a long number of years [Johnny] felt maybe underappreciated or that sometimes he felt, not that the world was against him, but he may not have been recognised for the player he was

—  Ronan O'Gara

“What makes me very proud about Johnny, and what I did, that Irish number 10 jersey has been bloody well served. And that’s important, when you’re finished that you can look back and say ‘I gave that everything’ and now Johnny has driven that on to another level, and that’s what you want. And whoever comes after him needs to kick on again.”

Hmm, best of luck with that.

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Even the dogs on O’Connell Street know that Sexton and O’Gara had a battle royale for the Irish 10 jersey over a period of four seasons, 2009-10 to 2012-13. It emanated from a huge, if grudging, respect for each other’s abilities.

That in turn gave way to the beginning of a true friendship for the ensuing two seasons when Sexton moved to Racing 92 and O’Gara began his journey into coaching.

“Genuinely I have huge happiness for him. Now that I’m a coach and I can see the bigger picture, and when I saw how he prepares, what it means to him, how much he’s got better, it’s very fitting that he has had the career that he’s had, and it’s not over yet,” O’Gara says.

“Probably the biggest six months of his career are ahead of him and that’s not over stating it, because the team and himself, if he keeps fit, they have a great chance of doing well in a World Cup. It’s an incredibly exciting time for him.

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“But he’s got exactly what he deserves. I remember my mother saying you get out of it what you put into it, and Johnny has put a lot into it.”

Acknowledging that previous Irish teams had nowhere near the “spectacular consistency” of what he calls the “Farrell era”, O’Gara does not dispute Sexton’s importance to this team.

“His captaincy has improved as well. He’s lost that nasty bite and he has a much better, pleasant manner about him which is appreciated by everyone,” O’Gara says.

Some ex-players struggle to see Ireland do well. I just don’t understand that. I cannot get my head around that. I’m just so grateful for my days in green

—  Ronan O'Gara

“But I spent two years in Paris with Johnny. I sat on the couch and drank tea with him for two years. He’s a very different person off the pitch and that’s what I like too, because when you go across the whitewash you like to see a different side, and how much it means, and that’s exactly what Johnny is, he’s a serious competitor. He really epitomises this new version of the Irish team.”

Speaking about the type of character Sexton is, O’Gara praises his inner contentment.

“I think for a long number of years he felt maybe underappreciated or that sometimes he felt, not that the world was against him, but he may not have been recognised for the player he was because he was a late starter.

“But I think that’s come full circle and I think there’s a great appreciation for what he’s done for the game in Ireland and most definitely for the consistency of how Leinster play, but also Ireland.”

Sexton and O’Gara chatted last week, he’ll have texted Sexton to wish him well.

“Some ex-players struggle to see Ireland do well. I just don’t understand that. I cannot get my head around that. I’m just so grateful for my days in green,” O’Gara says.

“They were special times with some special players. Now, the reality is that if Saturday goes well, it’s only the fourth Grand Slam in the history of Irish rugby.

“Three in 15 years would be very good, but they’re very scarce still. This team deserves to be a Grand Slam team, I think, because they’ve won in so many different manners and they found a way, and that’s what great teams do.”

The narrative around Sexton’s last Six Nations game has resonated beyond Ireland.

Welsh player Dan Biggar and Sexton opposed each other 13 times in Tests alone, with Sexton enjoying seven wins to Biggar’s five, with one drawn.

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Speaking to The Irish Times from the Welsh squad’s base in Nice this week, Biggar recalls: “My first memory of Johnny is playing against him in 2013. It was my first Six Nations game and Johnny very kindly gave me his shirt after the game.

“That just says a lot about a person. He’s taken a little bit of flak for how competitive he is and sometimes how he comes across. But you couldn’t meet too many better blokes than Johnny.

“As a 10 who’s played against Johnny, and I’ve had some good days and bad days against him, you knew playing against him that you would have to be a little bit better than you normally are, and I think that’s what Johnny brings out in everybody. You know you’re going to get absolutely nothing out of him and you know that he’s going to try and take everything from you.

“He’s the ultimate competitor, someone who just guides the team around so, so well and is integral to what Ireland have achieved, particularly in the last couple of years but also throughout Johnny’s whole career as well.”

I was surprised that once [Johnny] had a couple of beers and relaxed, you saw a really fun guy, and not that intense, who could talk to about pretty much anything

—  Dan Biggar

Along with Owen Farrell, Sexton and Biggar are uber competitive animals who can become quite animated and feisty in the heat of battle, but they’ve kept in touch since the 2017 Lions tour.

“I think we can both see parts of ourselves in each other in our competitiveness, drive for standards etc...” says Biggar.

“There are very few people I’ve played against, opposite numbers in particular, who I’ve kept in touch with on a personal level, which I think says a lot about him as a bloke as well as the huge amount of respect I have for him as a player.”

Biggar continues: “What I really like about Johnny, and in particular on the 2017 tour, he probably didn’t start the tour that well and in great form. But, again, his personality and his character, the drive, the determination, the time spent on improving his game, looking at video footage, looking at ways we can get results, that rubbed off on me a little bit as well and I put that into my next few years of playing.

“I also really enjoyed his character. I was surprised that once he had a couple of beers and relaxed, you saw a really fun guy, and not that intense, who could talk to about pretty much anything.

“But he is absolutely mad about the game and I think that’s why he’s got so much success, because he absolutely sleeps and breaths it.”

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Biggar has three Six Nations titles, but wouldn’t begrudge Sexton a fourth.

“Do you know what, there’s certain times when you watch games, when you might hope that a certain opponent doesn’t play well or that a team don’t get the job done, and I’ve got a lot of really good friends in that English team who I’ve got a huge amount of time for. But you’d be a hard judge of character if you weren’t pleased for Johnny.

There’s absolutely huge respect and very few players would have had that from me as much as Johnny over my career, and I really wish him the best

—  Dan Biggar

“I think Ireland have been the standout team for the last 12 months anyway, but I think it would be really fitting if this is to be his last, and I wish him all the success and all the records and praise that comes with it, because he has battled through some tough times, worked his way through it, to lead his team on Saturday.

“He’ll definitely be having a message of good luck from me on Friday afternoon. And I really hope that he gets the job done.

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“That’s probably rare in sport, because there’s no animosity and no hoping he misses a kick. There’s absolutely huge respect and very few players would have had that from me as much as Johnny over my career, and I really wish him the best.”

A rare tribute indeed. But then again, Johnny Sexton is a rare player. And he isn’t finished yet.

Johnny Sexton’s Six Nations career in numbers

Played: 59 (55 starts + 4 replacements)

Points: 557

Tries: 7

Conversions: 99

Penalties: 105

Drop goals: 3

Wins: 40

Losses: 17

Draws: 2

Win-loss ratio: 70 per cent