Sexton finally realises long-held ambition

IN A sense he has been on everyone's wish list. In the spirit of building depth and giving younger players chances, the feeling was Jonathan Sexton taking the number 10 shirt was timely and apt. It was more too, a reflection of Declan Kidney's broader thinking than Ronan O'Gara's play.

It has been Kidney's intention to cast his net wide and in naming Sexton for his first cap against Fiji on home ground in the RDS, there was a certain feeling of inevitability around the team base in Killiney.

His rise since playing for Ireland A against Scotland earlier this year followed by a series of mature and poised performances for Leinster in the Heineken Cup semi-final and final, has now cast the 24 year-old as the direct heir to the O'Gara throne. Just how long that transition might take and where 2008 Grand Slam back-up number 10, Paddy Wallace, fits in is yet to be choreographed. But on Saturday afternoon a confident and thoughtful Sexton realises a long-held ambition after some pesky frustration along the way.

"Yeah, obviously I'd be lying if I said I was happy to be sitting on the bench rather than playing," he answers, typically candidly.

"But, looking back now, I kind of had to bide my time a bit. I felt I learnt a lot while I was sitting on the bench. I learnt a lot from Felipe (Contepomi) and I'm probably better now for learning from those experiences than I would have been had I been thrown in then.

"I suppose I wasn't getting picked much around Christmas time last year for Leinster. Then Declan gave me a big shout, putting me in the A team.

"I've sort of gone on from there, I've been happy with my form ever since so that was probably a big break for me because it was that performance that probably got me back in the Leinster team and I pushed on from there. I tried to work my way in there."

Alan McGowan was the name that popped up as the last outhalf from Leinster to represent Ireland at 10. He earned his cap in Lansdowne Road against the USA in 1994 when he kicked 13 points.

That's 1994 to 2009 without a Leinster outhalf! Others would say Dublin-born Ian Keatley would fit the picture. Keatley played for Clontarf and won his first cap this year but is currently contracted to Connacht. Mark McHugh is also a candidate but although 10 for Leinster, he played fullback for Ireland. But, even now, Sexton feels like a late starter with Ireland compared to some of those around him.

"He named the team and it was obviously nice to hear my name called out. I feel probably old to be making my debut compared to some of the lads who have gone before me, like Luke (Fitzgerald), Rob (Kearney), Cian (Healy) and Earlsy (Keith). But I'm delighted. It's a very proud moment for me and my family."

He is unlikely to feel alone. Eoin Reddan will be feeding him the ball from scrumhalf and outside he will have a choice of Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Horgan or fullback Rob Kearney if he feels the urge to angle into the attacking line.

The fizzing Earls is the only non-Leinster back to start. The relationship with Reddan for a long and prosperous future must be faithful particularly.

"We've played five or six games together now so we're getting used to each other," says Sexton. "So it will be nice to have him there along with a good few other Leinster backs outside me, who will be there to help."

Sexton was in diffident mood yesterday. But that is not quite him. He is modest but not falsely so. He's refreshingly direct. He's unashamedly ambitious. He greatly respects O'Gara but he desperately wants to play for Ireland as the number one choice and is unafraid to say so.

"It's hard to comment on yourself," he says. "I suppose I've been not trying as hard to make things happen, I was probably trying a bit too hard at the start of last year. I just relaxed a little bit. Now I'm not sort of concentrating on mistakes but I've a more positive outlook maybe. But again it's hard for me to comment."

Brian O'Driscoll has no such qualms. "He puts a lot of thought into the game. A big emphasis on work ethic and he's talented," he said. "It's been a huge six months for him, coming into the semi-final (Heineken Cup) and controlling things as he did. We slag him over his encyclopaedic knowledge of rugby. He's provided a solid basis for us this season and with every game is getting better."

Sexton expects to get better. And Kidney expects him to too.