The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Sexton’s red card warning ahead of All Blacks clash
Irish playmaker believes repeat of Dublin 2016 high tackles unlikely
Johnny Sexton warned New Zealand 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 fly-half 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 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 high 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 Dublin win over New Zealand last November, seeing off the All Blacks 16-9.
However, while Sexton expects another response today, the 34-year insists there will be no repeat of that renegade physicality from the Dublin loss of 2016.
“Some of the yellow cards that were given out and some things that were missed, they would be reds now,” he said.
“They had a game recently when they went down to 14 against Australia, so I’m sure they will be very disciplined on the day,” he said.
Sexton was Ireland’s only player to train at the Tokyo Stadium yesterday, with the rest of boss Joe Schmidt’s match squad completing their session at their training base.
The accomplished playmaker was keen not to break from routine, having always kicked at a stadium the day before a Test match.
Sexton and scrum-half Conor Murray will set an Ireland record 56th joint Test start as a half-back pairing, moving past the mark of Peter Stringer and Ronan O’gara.
The 87-cap Ireland fly-half Sexton 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.
“He’s a top-quality operator, a quality pass and kicking game and all the things you’d expect from a world class scrumhalf,” said Sexton.
“At the end of the World Cup people will probably start calling for our heads, saying we’re too old and that the next batch needs to come through; I can see it already.
“But we hope that we’ve got a good few more years left in us yet.”