New Zealand will see red if they repeat old tactics, says Johnny
JOHNNY Sexton has warned New Zealand that any repeat of their strong-arm tactics from Dublin in 2016 will lead to red cards in today’s World Cup quarter-final.
British and Irish Lions flyhalf Sexton believes Sam Cane and Malakai Fekitoa avoiding straight dismissals in New Zealand’s 21-9 win in Dublin three years ago sparked the sport’s crackdown on high tackles.
Flanker Cane (below) was only penalised for knocking out Robbie Henshaw with a head-high shot at a ruck, while centre Fekitoa was merely sin-binned for a crude tackle on Simon Zebo.
New Zealand had reacted with unbridled fury to their 40-29 loss to Ireland in Chicago from a week earlier to reassert their authority in a pulsating encounter.
Ireland claimed their maiden win over New Zealand in Dublin in November, seeing off the All Blacks 16-9 — but while Sexton expects another response, the 34-year-old insists there will be no repeat of that renegade physicality from Dublin 2016.
“I’m sure that’s what they’ll be speaking about, to go into it at full-tilt,” said Sexton. “As far as that second game in 2016 went, that was almost the turning point for a lot of the rule changes about high tackles.
“Some of the yellow cards that were given out and some things that were missed, they would be reds now. They probably weren’t intentional at the time, but if they happened now there would be different consequences. So I don’t think it will happen again.
“They had a game recently when they went down to 14 against Australia, so I’m sure they will be very disciplined.”
Sexton was Ireland’s only player to train at the Tokyo Stadium yesterday, with the rest of Joe Schmidt’s squad completing their session at their base.
The accomplished playmaker admitted he was keen not to break from routine, having always kicked at a stadium the day before a Test match.
Sexton took the hour-long bus journey from the hotel then, but was glad of the chance to get his bearings at the ground alongside skills coach Richie Murphy.
“I just didn’t want to break routine before a big game,” said Sexton. “I’ve never not kicked at a stadium the day before a game, so I wasn’t going to start something new now.”
Sexton and scrumhalf Conor Murray will set a new Ireland record 56th joint Test start as a half-back pairing, moving past the previous high held by Peter Stringer and Ronan O’Gara.
Sexton admitted he expects people to start talking about the end of his partnership with 30-year-old Murray straight after the World Cup — but vowed both men still have a big Test future.
“At the end of the World Cup people will probably start calling for our heads. But we hope that we’ve got a good few more years left in us yet,” he said.