Johnny Sexton berates touch judge for ‘not doing job’

Johnny Sexton

had barely trained since the Six Nations. Still, 16 flawless points on Saturday night ensured questions were being asked about

Munster

coach

Anthony Foley

sticking rigidly to a pre-game plan to introduce Ian Keatley for Johnny Holland before the hour mark.

Holland had matched Sexton point for point, even try for try, until Keatley’s arrival on 57 minutes. Within seconds Keatley – described by Foley as an “experienced international outhalf” despite just four caps and being 29 – missed a vital penalty to put Munster ahead.

Moments later Sexton did not and 16-13 was how it finished. There were many other reasons Munster failed to win.

They lacked the skill-set under intense pressure to put 14-man Leinster away after Cian Healy's sin-binning. Three times they refused difficult kicks at goal to secure a draw with Jamie Heaslip miraculously stopping CJ Stander before Dave Kilcoyne's rush of blood to the head.

Stander stood over Kilcoyne’s decision to tap and go, agonisingly close to the Leinster try line, despite being smashed backwards by Rhys Ruddock and the magnificent Ben Te’o. A Mike Sherry handling error, after another monstrous Te’o hit, denied what had looked certain to be a season-saving victory.

United they fall

“Killer decided to take a quick tap,” said Stander. “Great call . . . I would have quick tapped that ball.”

United they fall. Well, sort of.

“A player thought he could win the game,” said Foley. “We would like take it back but you don’t get those opportunities to take it back.

“It’s unfortunate but you got to live with it. Selection is trust. You trust the players who are out on the pitch.”

What really reflects poorly on Foley – who recently signed a one -year contract extension despite his own misgivings and the imminent arrival of a director of rugby who will be “track-suited”, according to Munster manager Niall O’Donovan – was the decision to replace Holland with Keatley.

Sexton followed Holland into the west stand but not until the 77th minute.

“Just got cramp in both my calves. I’ve had two sessions since the Scotland game so I was probably a little bit short through the legs really. Had a few niggles since the Six Nations so just trying to take it easy.

“A draw would have been a fair old reflection of the game,” Sexton continued. “They probably felt they needed a win, because of their league position and to get back into that top four so you can see where they were coming from.”

He was his usual combative self; a scuffle with Munster blindside Dave O’Callaghan before a heated exchange with referee Ian Davies at half-time.

Slapping the ball

“It was two feet in front of the touch judge [Mark Patton] so I don’t know why he isn’t helping out,” said Sexton of

Simon Zebo

slapping the ball out of play near Munster’s try line. “They are meant to be called assistant referees now, they are meant to have as big a role as the referee. It is two feet in front of him, a blatant slap into touch.

“Arguably, if that’s foul play, if Zebo wouldn’t have been there, it could have been a penalty try and yellow card. I saw it live and myself and Eoin [Reddan] were not happy he didn’t check it upstairs.

Next job

“I haven’t always been able to move on to the next job,” he smiled. “I think I am getting a little bit better at it. Maybe not. Those games are high emotion, you can lose the run of yourself sometimes. But sometimes you need someone who is not the captain to highlight things that are happening in the game.”

Mistakes like this can cost a season, a trophy even?

“Yeah, it’s people’s job, it’s a professional game. Maybe the referee didn’t have a great view because there’s players running in front of him. But the assistant referee, it is right there in front of him, so don’t know how one of them didn’t see it.

“Look, it’s not a decision that cost us in the end but it could have.”