Sexton watch: Ireland’s talisman excels on return

Few games ever began with as many eyes watching one player. Johnny Sexton’s road to the Aviva, one that required an IRFU clarification about the concussion that kept him from rugby for 12 weeks, rolled on into Saturday.

And that was before he was again faced with the threat of Mathieu Bastareaud, the French outside centre who had previously caused him a head injury.

The pre-match mind games were as unsavoury as they have ever been as people looked towards the prospect of Sexton tackling the 19st 8lb rolling mountain. Target the player who has just returned from a head injury seemed like a different sort of collision, one of tactics and ethics.

But the subtext to the match had been set and it was of Sexton’s recent concussion. It had gathered legs for a week before it took him just eight minutes to reduce it all to ashes and then in the second half for it to briefly arise again.

Sexton was in the game from the start of the match and had the ball in his hands twice in the opening moments. On five minutes he kicked over the French line with fullback Scott Spedding gathering but ending up in touch to hand Ireland their first lineout.

On eight minutes and better early than late, Sexton had his chance to calm the noise around his injury. The hefty and menacing Bastareaud took up the ball and bullocked into the Irish 22. Without hesitation the Irish outhalf went into contact and choke tackled him to the ground, Wayne Barnes giving Ireland the scrum.

It was as if he had never been away and as the first half unfolded Sexton had ticked almost every box. He had passed the ball, tactically kicked, crossfield kicked to Tommy Bowe, kicked four penalties, run into contact and tackled Bastareaud twice.

There were a few rusty moments, an over egged boot just after half-time went into touch on the full and a block down by Camille Lopez from a defensive kick a few minutes later was less sure than Sexton would have liked. But his control was evident and the surety was there.

However, there are few games with no turns and it was shortly after the Lopez block down and five minutes into the second half that the words Sexton and injury again co-joined. Once more Bastareaud was involved.

Sexton, deep in the French 22, took up the ball and Bastareaud came at him and upright.

By the angle of the Frenchman’s body it appeared unlikely that they wouldn’t clash heads. And so it was. The two collided and fell and as they picked themselves from the ground, it was the Irishman who was slowest to his feet.

Bastareaud had smashed into Sexton’s left eye and by the time outhalf stood up the blood was flowing freely. The script seemed almost pre-ordained as a hushed Aviva Stadium watched the man at the Irish tiller depart with another head injury.

Nobody knew if Sexton would return as Ian Madigan went into the game at outhalf. But just seconds short of 10 minutes the green shirt appeared on the sideline, not just standing around but urging his side to chase a ball that had run free into French territory.

Sexton’s eye looked bruised and swollen under his left brow but his 10 minutes off the pitch was no co-incidence.

As he was being patched up by the team doctors in the dressing room Sexton underwent the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) protocols with Irish team doctor Eanna Falvey. The HIA’s permit a 10 minute injury bin for doctors to assess players if there is a suspicion of concussion.

When he came back on 55 minutes, Sexton launched into the match with the same gusto, his over eagerness to make something happen for Ireland causing a pass just metres from the French line to hit Jared Payne on the face.

On 76 minutes, Bastareaud hit Sexton again with his head, this time carrying the ball. Sexton turned to the left and avoided face to face contact but the blood oozed out of the initial wound requiring a smear of Vaseline from a medic to keep it in check.

By the end of the match Sexton had been tested and had been through the wars and had risen to it all. His eye was getting bigger by the minute but he did not just survive his first match back but surpassed any reasonable expectations and dispelled any doubt anbout his health.

When it was announced at the end that he had won man of the match the Hollywood narrative was complete and the stadium rose as one.

“We’re delighted,” he said to the crowd afterwards. Many other people were too. Delighted for that, for his five out of five penalties, delighted for him.