With the bruisers to stake his claim for Lions No10 jersey

got to the stage where Best was heard to complain to Garcès: “Our 10 is constantly getting hit late.” He had a point.

Best said: “[Garcès] kept saying the TMO was keeping an eye on it. He was saying his job and the job of his assistants was to look after the players. All I was saying was it was my job as captain to make sure our players were looked after.”

Sexton stayed down a couple of times – and his injury record is a concern – but the fact he was on the pitch for the full match was noteworthy.

Ireland lost this championship while Sexton was off the pitch. He was injured for their defeat by Scotland, and undergoing head injury assessment then sin-binned while Wales racked up the bulk of their points at the Millennium Stadium.

Sexton inspired Ireland to a win over France on his return from a month out injured. He threatened against Wales when he was actually on the pitch. On Saturday, Sexton directed a first-half symphony that secured Ireland 74 per cent of the ball.

England’s Joe Launchbury said: “Sexton makes them tick in attack. It doesn’t take a rugby genius to work out how involved he is, how many times he gets his hands on the ball. We wanted to disrupt that rhythm.”

Gatland could trust in a partnership that has experience of beating New Zealand in the last six months and has played together for the Lions. Conor Murray, injured on Saturday, was freakishly good at Soldier Field. When both he and Sexton are fit and on form, they represent a formidable partnership.

Whatever Gatland decides, Sexton is sure to feature in the Kiwi’s thinking. He remains the best 10 in the northern hemisphere in giving his team direction under pressure.

“He’s a competitor,” Best said. “The best thing you can say is that I definitely prefer playing with him in the green of Ireland than against him when he’s at Leinster. He’s a nightmare to play against.”