Leinster’s head coach sticks up for his new signing.
Naturally, when it was announced that Rieko Ioane would be joining Leinster next season, fans could not wait to bring up his previous spat with club-legend Johnny Sexton.
In his autobiography, Sexton wrote that Ioane had said “Don’t miss your flight tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement, you c**t”, after the All Blacks knocked Ireland out of the 2023 World Cup in Sexton’s last professional game.
The New Zealander was widely criticised by Leinster and Ireland fans, and with his move to Leinster after next season’s Autumn Nations Series confirmed, head coach Leo Cullen was asked about the incident.
He said: “Sledging is part of the game and there was more made of it than it actually is.
“I used to get sledged as a player but I didn’t take it personally. I used to get called all sorts of awful things! That’s just part and parcel.”
However, Cullen did go on to praise Sexton, following the announcement that the former out-half will be joining Andy Farrell’s coaching ticket for the Lions tour this summer.
Cullen added: “It is an amazing experience for him, going on the Lions tour. In terms of what he has got to add, he has performed at the top end of the game and for the Lions to be his first job is amazing.
“And in terms of the experience he has had on those Lions tours, specifically in Australia in 2013, so it is brilliant to have him involved in the game.”
