INSIDE: BRILLIANT SPORTS PULLOUT
ALL THE TOP ACTION AND NEWS
JOHNNY SEXTON has described the Lions’ challenge of trying to defeat the All Blacks next Saturday in their Auckland fortress as the biggest hurdle of his career.
The out-half was part of the Ireland side that ended New Zealand’s joint world record winning run last November.
However, having played himself into pole position to be the starting Lions 10 at Eden Park with a timely return to form in the 32-10 win over the Maori, Sexton is now seeking to scale the heights at a ground where the All Blacks have gone undefeated since 1994.
‘It’s going to be the toughest game I have ever played,’ said Sexton. ‘I have got to make it that way as well. It’s all geared up
towards next week,’ he said after orchestrating a convincing build-up win in Rotorua.
‘It’s a much bigger challenge to 2013 (the successful Australian series)… this is the biggest challenge in rugby, to take the All Blacks on in Eden Park.
‘They haven’t lost there in however many years and it’s something you have to get excited about. It’s a huge opportunity that doesn’t come by very often.’
Successive wins have seen the Lions showcase their forward platform, reliable set-piece coupled with breakdown aggression. Sexton, though, was unsure if this menace was enough to spook their Test series opponents.
‘I don’t think the All Blacks get worried, at least publicly. They don’t get too fazed by the opposition. They make that fairly well known, so we just have to put into use the game plan that we haven’t even spoken about.
‘We have just tried to find our form, tried to get our combinations right. It’s been pretty tough considering all the travel, the lack of prep time since we got here. ’
Warren Gatland claimed at the start of the week there were signs Sexton was getting his mojo back after some poor display. Turns out, though, he never knew he had lost it.
‘I didn’t know you lose your mojo after one bad game,’ he countered. ‘I have been written off hundreds of times in my career, but it’s important you take it with a pinch of salt because you know if you work as hard as you always do when things are going well, it will eventually turn. ’
Seven Ireland players were on the Rotorua pitch together, quite an endorsement for their 11-strong contingent.
‘It’s a reflection on the coaching set-up we have in Ireland that gives us an opportunity to get out here and fight for a Test spot,’ Sexton added.