Sexton’s all set to walk a familiar path
HAVING won it five times since Italy joined the championship in 2000, the French know all about the Six Nations trophy.
They know how much champagne it holds: five bottles to the brim. They know how many sides it has: 15 (to represent each player on a team). They’re used to kissing the lip of the trophy that was designed with celebration in mind, it’s a prize that is hard won but easily sipped from.
It’s also lined with 22-carat gold to prevent the champagne eroding the sterling silver.
The French also know what hides inside its secret drawers. Look closely at the top of the trophy this year and you will see the lid is adorned with the crest of Wales on its handle, representing Warren Gatland’s men as the current champions.
There is one for each country and they can be screwed on and off depending on who holds the title. When not on display the other five ‘finials’ are kept inside the wooden pl i nth which contains f i ve drawers.
We’ll hazard a guess and say that Johnny Sexton doesn’t know this. The Ireland out-half may know the Heineken Cup like the back of his hand, but not this one. And this is the one he is desperate to lift.
‘You always want most what you haven’t had before, so it would be right up there. I suppose, as players, if we could go and get a win to win the championship it will be an amazing achievement and it will be one that’s talked about for many years. I hope.
‘That’s what you want to be remembered for when you’re finished playing rugby is those big games,’ said Sexton yesterday as he prepares for Ireland’s Six Nations title decider with France on Saturday. The approach this week is nothing new; the Ireland camp are treating it like a cup final week and that is a path Sexton has walked eight times in his career with Leinster, winning five and losing three.
Seven of those finals have come with Leinster while he was the conductor of Joe Schmidt’s symphony, now they take their tour to Paris looking to strike yet another high note.
‘I was blessed to be there [Leinster] for that period of time and play in that team and then to be picked for the Lions on the back of my Leinster form rather than Ireland form and achieve success there — but there’s somewhere in the middle with the Irish squad and it’s the same for a lot of the boys,’ he explained.
‘There are only three or four boys in there who have lifted that trophy, so we’re all desperate to go out and do it this weekend.’
His thumb is grand by the way. Yesterday he sported some light strapping and was pleased to report that he had been experiencing no problems with it well before the weekend clash with Italy.
‘I would have known on Thursday when we did contact in training that it was fine, I would have done some grappling to prove I was fit so I wouldn’t have taken the pitch if I wasn’t sure.’
In the old days the injury he picked up in the loss to England would have been dubbed a sprained thumb, he’d have it strapped up and told to get on with it. Of course, nowadays there is a doctor, specialist and a consultant for almost every body part and with everyone keen to examine him something was lost in translation when Racing Metro coach Laurent Labit speculated it could be a 10-week injury.
‘It all depended on how it settled down, it was a bit exaggerated it was a 10-day to three-week injury and it all depended on whether I was pain free in my protective cast and strapping and I suppose the week of the Racing-Castres game it was just too sore to play,’ he said.
The Top 14 club were under no obligation to release an injured player back to his country, but some careful politicking by both the player and the IRFU had him back on the pitch in good order.
The 28-year-old is grateful to his club and is eager to repay them on his return to his adopted city, but not before upsetting some of the locals.
‘It will obviously help knowing that the majority of us have played in big finals and have had wins.
‘That’s what it is this week, it’s another final and the only difference is it’s away from home, that’s why it’s so much more difficult. France at home is a tough game for any team in the world and that’s why this week would be extra special if we won.’
No doubt about that.