Sexton: I’d never race off today
Italy v
Ireland
Today, 3pm
JOHNNY SEXTON admits he might not have joined Racing 92 if he had been told he wouldn’t play for Ireland while abroad.
And the world player of the year stresses that if Simon Zebo or any of the other Ireland players in exile were picked for the World Cup, there would be no objection from the Ireland dressing room.
Leinster star Sexton was picked by Joe Schmidt while he was at Racing 92 for two years to 2015 but the 33-year-old reveals that it was a “s*** show” at times as he tried to make it for Ireland camps.
Asked if Schmidt should relax his selection policy for the World Cup, Sexton replied: “Well he can if he wants, that’s Joe’s decision.
“Would I? I think if there was someone there that we needed, like the players aren’t going to be against.. we just play with who we’re told to play with and we try and make it work as best we can.
“The rule is in place to keep our best players in the country. I was one of the fortunate ones who got to go and experience something and come back.
“But I don’t know if I’d left if I’d had a gun put to me head and told you’re not going to play for Ireland.”
Schmidt has repeatedly said that it is IRFU policy to pick players who are with the provinces because their game time can be managed and they can attend all of
Ireland’s training camps.
“It’s only since coming back really that things seemed to change,” added Sexton, who starts at out-half for Ireland in today’s clash with Italy in Rome.
“I know it’s not set in stone, like there’s nothing in the IRFU which says we’re not allowed.
“But things seem to change. When I was over in France they offered me to come back and I wanted to come back.
“But they said, ‘Look, it’s going to be very hard to keep picking you when you’re away.’ It was a s*** show at times, trying to get in for camps.”