Sexton is prepared for big hits from Italy

JOHNNY SEXTON has been through the wars in the first two rounds of this year’s Six Nations and fully expects another working over from Italy in Rome today — but the reigning World Player of the Year won’t be looking for sympathy.

Sexton took a couple of almighty hits in Ireland’s shock 32-20 loss against England and several more as the champions saw off Scotland a week later, and many observers reckon the 33-year-old is being deliberately targeted.

Many others, Eddie Jones among them, reckon Ireland’s star fly-half actually gets preferential treatment. Sexton will just be getting on with it.

‘Obviously, I’m aware that it’s happening because I’m on the other end of it but, no, I don’t really see what’s said or being talked about or written about,’ he said.

‘I’ve given my side of it in terms of what I’ve said already. They’re all on the borderline, I probably got a worse one against England than any of the ones against Scotland.

‘Look, it is what it is. What can I do? I think I’ve tried every sort of outcome possible.

‘I’ve tried to stay down a little bit when I could get straight back up, I’ve tried to get straight back up, I’ve tried to give out to the ref, I’ve tried to say nothing, I’ve tried to react, I’ve tried to smack someone in the head, which didn’t go too well.

‘So like what can you do? I just have to get up and get on with it.

‘I felt I was doing that against Scotland. I was gutted to come off because they probably felt that one, that they’d won that little battle, but it wasn’t really that that finished me, it was more I think one of my own players stamped on my ankle and I couldn’t really get my foot down to kick, it was sore to kick and I was tightening up as the first half was going on so it was probably that combined with getting a couple of shots that came off.’

Sexton certainly refutes the suggestion that Ireland were caught off guard by England’s physicality in the opening exchanges in a role reversal of the game at Twickenham 12 months before which the Irish won.

‘Look, that’s a big part of their game,’ he said.

‘They were like that in Twickenham last year but we just dealt with it a bit better and we sort of took the chances as opposed to them taking the chances. It was almost like a reversal of the game, so we weren’t surprised.