Sexton on top of the world as stunning year in
JOHNNY Sexton is keen not to get carried away with awards season, but last night’s World Player of the Year win was deserved recognition of his stunning contribution to Ireland’s golden year.
Joe Schmidt took the World Coach of the Year award and Ireland were also named Team of the Year in Monaco.
Sexton’s role in the Ireland squad is vice-captain, but the Lions out-half is the spiritual leader of a team that relentlessly dominated 2018; winning 11 of their 12 matches and claiming the Grand Slam, a series win over Australia and a first home victory over New Zealand in an unbeaten November.
The one loss, the opening Test in Brisbane, came with Sexton on the bench as Joey Carbery was afforded an opportunity to start a big game.
Sexton’s understudy did well and was by no means at fault for the result, but there is a calm assurance about the way the experienced Leinster man conducts his business.
Nobody on the Irish team puts their body on the line more frequently than the No 10 whose disregard for his own welfare has caused his coach exasperation.
Sexton embodies the old cliché about having fire in the belly and ice in the brain.
He served up his most iconic moment first, driving the team through 41 phases from their own 22 into French territory at the Stade de France before delivering an inch-perfect, long-range drop goal to rescue a last-minute win that got the ball rolling.
Having worked so hard to get his body right, he was at the forefront of the run to that Grand Slam win in Twickenham; conducting the orchestra during a first half that must rank as one of the most complete performances by any Irish team.
With the pressure on, the 33-year-old dictated the game. He often appears to be operating a couple of phases ahead of everyone else in a system designed to fatigue opponents through keeping possession.
He followed up the Six Nations success by guiding Leinster to the Champions Cup and Guinness PRO14 double. It was no surprise when his leadership qualities were finally recognised with the captaincy this season.
With Peter O’Mahony off injured, it was Sexton who skippered Ireland in a dramatic decider in Sydney as the tourists stormed back to claim the series.
And in November, he was again in fine form as he faced Beauden Barrett, his main rival for last night’s award, and guided his side to a victory. Barrett held this award for the last two seasons and didn’t have a bad year, but Sexton’s achievements have been matched by his performances.