Johnny Sexton eyes fitting climax to career as Ireland holds its breath

BORDEAUX – Johnny Sexton admits being nervous ahead of his final campaign, as he plots a path to what he hopes will culminate in a Rugby World Cup triumph for Ireland on Oct 28.

But the 38-year-old will not be the only one on edge when he lines up for his first match in six months in Ireland’s opening Pool B match against Romania in Bordeaux on Saturday.

The country’s rugby fans will also be tense, as well as hopeful.

Irish dreams of being crowned world champions for the first time hang largely on their captain, not just for his vision and reading of a game, but also for his leadership.

“There is a massive dependency on Johnny Sexton in terms of leadership,” said former Ireland fullback Hugo MacNeill.

“He is pivotal to Ireland’s chances of winning the World Cup or at least getting to the semi-finals for the first time (after three straight quarter-final exits).”

Sexton would be the first to say it is all about the team but they admit it is him who makes them tick. Despite being rusty after a groin injury, he remains the man pulling the strings for the team ranked No. 1 in the world.

For eight years, questions have been posed regularly, first to head coach Joe Schmidt and then to his successor Andy Farrell, as to who would replace Sexton.

However, the fly-half has somehow upped his game even in the twilight of his career.

Sexton cajoled, encouraged and guided his teammates to a 2022 Six Nations Triple Crown and then a historic Test Series win in New Zealand.

This season, they went one better and secured the Six Nations Grand Slam.

Even as he rejoiced and said achieving the Grand Slam in his final Six Nations appearance was the highest point of his career, his eye was focused on an “even higher one” to come – winning the World Cup.

“I’m delighted to be back. Playing for Ireland is always special, extra special when it comes to World Cups, so I’m very, very happy to be back in the team. I’m really looking forward to it now,” he said.

“Getting back fit from the injury was the first challenge... When you’re a little bit behind at the start, you’ve got to work harder to stay fit and improve your fitness, so that’s what I’ve tried to do over the last couple of months.

“We’ve trained hard as a team and hopefully it will pay off on Saturday.”

Both Schmidt and Farrell tried to develop potential successors, or at least someone who could be relied on to step in when Sexton was injured, most notably Joey Carbery.

But Carbery has faded from the scene. Instead, it is his younger Munster teammate Jack Crowley who will be on the bench on Saturday with Ross Byrne the other fly-half in the squad.

“The problem is nobody apart from Johnny Sexton controls a game like he does,” added MacNeill.

Romania, however, should not present too many problems as they are a long way from the side that once drew with the Irish in the 1980s.

Farrell’s men are also in good form, winning all three of their warm-up matches – against Italy, England and Samoa – although they made few headlines.

There was none of the pizzazz of South Africa’s win over the All Blacks or Fiji’s historic victory over an ailing England.

Indeed, Farrell labelled some of their play “clunky” but, with a bit of reflection, he is happy.

“Sure hope so,” he said, on seeing a more polished Ireland on Saturday.

“It is not a concern, three warm-up games with different personnel, everyone at different stages of pre-season.

“All (the performances) are galvanised to one point. This is it – the start of competition. The performance should be a hell of a lot slicker.”

It will probably all come down to Sexton, once again, with a nation holding its breath. AFP, REUTERS