Jonathan Sexton tells GAVIN CUMMISKEYhow his gripping rivalry with Ronan O'Gara is evolving into a friendship
IF RONAN O’Gara had reacted differently to Jonathan Sexton being handed the Ireland number 10 jersey the debate would have died down by now. But O’Gara refuses to go quietly. He keeps coming up with these cameos; a drop goal to save Ireland’s season in Rome, while Saturday’s lively 10 minutes included two glorious line kicks and a scrap with the elected English hate-figure, Chris Ashton. Everyone has been dying to have a cut off the show-boating winger.
O’Gara reclaimed the jersey in Edinburgh, producing a fine display, only to be hauled off early in the second half against Wales. Sexton hasn’t quite got the impact gig down yet, but no one can predict with certainty what Declan Kidney will do next.
Conservative in utilising other replacements, the Irish coach has continually stoked the flames of this debate – clearly there is a method to it all – by launching whichever man is benched with the game delicately poised.
Sexton beat Kidney, and O’Gara, to the punch on Saturday, punishing every English error before the rain came down.
“After the French game I was probably reading too much into it,” said Sexton, the last Irish player into the mixed zone but the most welcome as he always calls it straight and without any clichéd responses. The type of player who forces journalists to ask some intelligent questions.
“I literally haven’t watched a TV or opened a paper since. That helps – to stay away from it. At times the mum and girlfriend will be giving out about certain people and you’re like, ‘Just leave me out of it, I don’t want to hear about it’. But sure you know it is all part of it, and I’m sure it will continue.”
It goes up another notch on Saturday week when their rivalry goes head-to-head in Limerick.
Considering Sexton edged out men like Donncha O’Callaghan, David Wallace and Brian O’Driscoll for the man-of-the-match accolade, there was some grumblings at O’Gara’s arrival on 69 minutes. Perhaps Kidney was reacting to the drizzle that first appeared after the hour mark or Sexton grimacing in pain after contact.
Regardless, cometh the downpour, cometh the Rainman of Thomond Park.
Any complaints from the Sexton loyalists were muted when O’Gara prodded the ball deep into the England 22.
Soon he was confronting a much bigger rugby league man. The blood was up. Ashton’s quick double jab failed to take it down, with his next contribution being a trademark lob over David Strettle’s head. There was a collective slumping of English shoulders as they turned and walked back into their 22.
Still, this day belongs to Sexton. An early penalty was followed by three more points, punishment for Ashton’s attempted decapitation, and still there was no silencing the Wigan flyer.
“It was all good banter. He was just telling me where I should be on the bench during the kick. We spoke after. He seems to be a good lad. Off the pitch. He likes to chat on it. Sometimes on the wing, when you have not a lot to do, you have to keep yourself in the game. No, he is a quality player – one of the best finishers in the world.”
It was the first scrum that ignited the Irish pack, but the Aviva Stadium finally found its roar when Sexton ignored a kickable penalty to send Tommy Bowe crashing over for the first try.
“That’s how we have been trying to play. The outhalf takes the brunt of most things. If we had passed it wide and dropped the ball, you know, it would have been: ‘why the hell was I running it from there when I could have kicked to touch?’ You make decisions and, in many ways, you rely on other people for the outcome. That’s what is frustrating in many ways. Not everyone looks at the bigger picture.
“Again, I’m lucky that I have some great coaches in Leinster and Ireland. They obviously backed me today when it could have easily gone the other way.”
When Ben Youngs’ rashness presented a penalty on half-time, on Sexton’s wrong side and not long after missing the conversion of Bowe’s try, he calmly made it 17-3. It seemed like a moment.
The standing ovation on his departure was initiated by wise rugby men around the ground, rising to a crescendo as others cottoned on.
“It was brilliant. I have said it before, it was for Ronan as much as myself. It was great to get an ovation like that. There is a lot written about the two of us and said about the two of us.”
It has become a gripping rivalry but Sexton is adamant a friendship has equally evolved between them.
“We are fully aware that at times when one plays well the other gets criticised. That is not how it should work.”
This time they both played well.
“There is a lot of support out there for Ronan and he deserves it for all he has done for Munster and Irish rugby. I’ll have to put in a few more performances like that to get that support.”
People remember images, like a younger Sexton roaring in O’Gara’s face seconds after the Gordon D’Arcy’s try in the 2009 Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park. “Yeah, (our relationship) probably didn’t get off to the best start. But what happens on the pitch between Munster and Leinster goes out the window when we come into the Irish camp. I’m sure in a couple weeks’ time we’ll be back killing each other, down in Thomond, but we are great friends today and as we build towards the World Cup.”
For now at least, they remain in this fight together.
