ATOMIC JOHNNY

Ireland ‘quarterback’ Sexton has led his men to the top of the world and, unlike his sporting hero Brady, shows no sign of stopping any time soon

IRELAND v FRANCE (KICK-OFF 2.15PM)

ON Super Bowl weekend, it feels only right that Irish rugby’s very own Tom Brady is centre stage in the biggest game of this season’s Six Nations today.

In Irish rugby parlance Johnny Sexton is an out-half – but he is a quarterback in all but name, the playmaker who has choreographed Ireland’s route to the top of the world rankings and who will plot their assault on holders France in Dublin.

Still going strong after the gridiron GOAT has called it quits, Sexton has used Brady and his yoga-centric techniques as his inspiration for his own longevity as he heads towards his 38th birthday this summer.

Sexton’s obsession with Brady (right), as he once described it, was triggered by his Leinster coach Stuart Lancaster.

Lancaster revealed: “I had seen documentaries on Tom Brady and when I started coaching Johnny the similarities were obvious – how he was one step ahead of everyone always and could see the picture so clearly.

“He has a photographic rugby memory and when he’s in the game he sees it almost in slow motion. He sees everything so early, makes the right decision nine times out of 10 and his skill execution is so good.

“So I sent Johnny some audio and some YouTube clips of Brady to watch.

“I didn’t realise how much he had taken it to heart – how he was literally going to play on until 45!”

He will not go on quite that far with the World Cup later this year his stopping point after 14 years in an Ireland jersey – but his powers show no sign of waning.

Despite going into Ireland’s opening game cold after sustaining a fractured cheekbone for his province, Sexton conducted the show against Wales imperiously.

Now for France.

Sexton said:

“I’m sure that they’ll have a plan to come and put pressure on me, shut me down. I’ll have to deal with that as well, so lots to consider. But I think we’re in a good place. I hope that I can get the team into a good place headspace-wise ready to attack the game.

“Then I’ll go out there and do what I think is right, trust what I see and trust my decision-making in terms of taking points or trying to put the foot on the throat. So that’s what I hope to bring. Whether it happens or not we will see on Saturday.

“You still have those memories from a young kid of France coming and demolishing Ireland.

“You probably naturally feel the underdog at my age, whereas the younger lads probably don’t.”

It is a fixture he has missed for the past two seasons through injury.

His inclusion can tip the balance in Ireland’s favour this time – if their lighter forwards can handle France’s giants.

He added: “The way we play the game is slightly different. Obviously, the size they have, we don’t have that. You can clearly see that. There’s no point in saying we do. But we’ve got some special physical guys as well in our front five and our back row – a slightly different profile but gifted in their own way athletically and talent-wise. We’re happy with where we’re at.”

In the grand scheme of things, the World Cup – where Ireland have failed so often – is the bigger deal but for Sexton a fourth Six Nations winners’ medal in his final championship would have a dual purpose.

He said: “To prove that we can do something in the World Cup, we need to go and do something in the

Six Nations as well. And the older you get the more selfish you are.”