He was immense against Scotland.
Johnny Sexton has been in the Ireland set-up for a decade. In a team chock full of emerging prospects, he, along with the likes of Rory Best and Rob Kearney, stands out as an elder statesman in this current crop.
However, while Best and Kearney played a more prominent role in Ireland’s 2009 Grand Slam, Sexton was very much on the periphery of Declan Kidney’s side, despite what the coach may have told him back then.
“Declan said I was just as much a part of it as everyone else in 2009 when I was on the bibs. I definitely didn’t feel that way.
Now, ten years on, Sexton has the chance to truly feel like a Grand Slam winner. After victory over Scotland, he and his teammates are just one win away from the promised land.
It’s that Holy Grail aura of the Grand Slam that has really driven Sexton and this Ireland crop over the line in all four of the games they’ve played during this thrilling championship.
It was the hunger to become a Grand Slam winner that drove Sexton to take on that now infamous drop goal against France.
Well done @IrishRugby. What an achievement with a game to go and @JohnnySexton ‘s drop goal in Rd 1 deserves to be a Grand Slam moment. Up and at ‘em boys.🇮🇪🇮🇪
— Ronan O Gara (@RonanOGara10) March 10, 2018
And it’s that same hunger that has spurred Sexton on through the pain barrier. After France beat England to confirm Ireland as 2018 Six Nations champions, Joe Schmidt and Sexton addressed the media in a celebratory press conference.
During it, Sexton admitted, via The Irish Times, that he had barely trained all week.
“I could have spent a bit more time on the [training] pitch,” the 32-year-old said.
“I took only a limited time on Tuesday. So I contributed to a little of that confusion [with Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose]. Hopefully, we can fix that next week.”
The fact that Sexton has barely been training and yet still managed to put in a herculean shift at the Aviva on Saturday is a testament to the indefatigable desire that’s currently flowing through Schmidt’s squad.
Of course, Sexton is under no illusion that Ireland are content with merely being champions. They want that Grand Slam and the Leinster fly-half insisted that the fact that there is still so much to play for contributed to a ‘strange’ and ‘muted’ atmosphere in the dressing room following the win over Scotland.
“It’s very muted upstairs. It is a very strange feeling to win the championship with a game to go. There is so much still to play for. The shoe is on the other foot now, after last year, and I’m sure they will be licking their lips. I know a lot of the [English players] from Lions trips and they are very proud people. I’m sure they will be gunning for us.”
IRTV: @JohnnySexton & Joe Schmidt give their reaction to Ireland being crowned #NatWest6Nations Champions with one game to go. #TeamOfUs pic.twitter.com/Cz8gBQJUgg
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) March 10, 2018
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