What on earth is it about the French media and Johnny Sexton? If it's the week of a France-Ireland game in the Six Nations it seems to be open season, and the latest offering from ex-French head coach Philippe Saint-André that Ireland were better off without Sexton prompted the Irish captain to note, a tad wearily, "I'm well used to it at this stage".
Back in 2015, Sexton’s then Racing teammate Bernard le Roux, who could be recalled for this Saturday’s crunch meeting in the Stade de France (kick-off 5.45pm local time/ 4.45pm Irish) may have well have been joking, albeit in bad taste, when commenting: “I do enjoy a good hit on a friend every now and then! Maybe he should wear a helmet this weekend!” said Le Roux.
Altogether more scurrilous was Dr Jean-François Chermann, the neurologist who stood down Sexton for 12 weeks when he was playing with Racing in 2014 due to concussion issues, telling the Paris-based radio station RMC prior to last year’s meeting: “I think Johnny Sexton has had around 30 concussions across his entire career.”
Jean Chazal, a French neurosurgeon, also told Midi Olympique that he had concerns for Sexton’s health in the event of him being picked for the France-Ireland game that week game.
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Sexton was “pretty saddened and shocked by the inaccurate reports that were thrown out” and although Dr Chermann expressed his regret over his comments by then the horse had long since bolted.
By contrast, the observations of current Montpellier coach Saint-André, whose side were routed 89-7 by Leinster recently with Ross Byrne at outhalf, were either incredibly mischievous or blissfully ignorant.
In another interview with Midi Olympique, Saint-André was asked if Ireland are too dependent on Sexton.
“Less and less, I find,” he ventured. “In fact, to be honest, they are maybe better without him. I like Ross Byrne, he is capable of exceptional things. Yes, Sexton is an icon, he remains the starter, but Byrne has played more than him this season at Leinster. They have a new generation who are showing up well, who are interesting.”
All water off a duck’s back by now.
“I’m well used to it at this stage, this week of the season,” said Sexton on Tuesdsy.
“France, whether it’s home or away, there’s always something from one direction or another, whether it’s inside the camp or outside the camp. The one you’re referring to is obviously outside the camp. You can’t control what people say, you have to do your talking on the pitch. It’s nothing new for me in this fixture to have some things thrown at me that you wouldn’t expect.”
Pre-match hype
The pre-match hype was always likely to increase a notch or several for a meeting between the two early pacesetters and first two in the betting, in what appears already like a key match in the Championship.
“We wouldn’t be talking like that in-house,” said Sexton. “It’s a massive fixture, France away. How many times have we won over there in 20 or 30 years? Not too many.”
The answer is three times in the last 50 years.
“It takes a special team to go and win there and it will take a great performance. That’s all we’re focused on. We’re not talking about who we are playing. We’re obviously giving them the respect that they absolutely deserve and analysing them and their individuals etc but we haven’t talked about who the best or second best team is, just our performance and where that leaves us.”
That said, Sexton accepted that the sense of anticipation around this game is acute.
“Yeah, of course. We’re playing against one of the most in-form teams in the world. We are in good form as well so it has been hyped up. If we can win in Stade de France it puts us in a good position to win a championship. We’ve been there a few times over the years.
“We lifted the trophy there in 2014. In 2018 we started off the Grand Slam year in that game so if you win there it gives you a great chance of competing for the championship. We’re not hiding away from that. It’s a big game.”
This is Sexton’s seventh visit to the Stade de France, starting with an appearance off the bench in 2010, and he’s experienced some of his biggest career highs and lows.
“An incredible stadium, with an incredible atmosphere. We obviously don’t want an incredible atmosphere because it means normally they’re going well, we want more silence this week. They are a very, very good team we’re coming up against, but in terms of the stadium, one of the best in the world, and one of the most enjoyable ones to play in.”
Furthermore, the last seven of Ireland’s nine-game winning run have been at the Aviva Stadium, dating back to France’s win there exactly a year ago behind closed doors when Sexton was one of three players ruled out in the 24 hours before the game. So this is different gravy.
“It’s important. We’re at the Stade de France and in 18 months’ time we’re going to have two group games in the World Cup. It would be good to have good memories of this place but away from home you just need to realise what you are up against.
“It will be a hostile crowd. It will be 50-50 decisions that tend to go against you. That’s what you are up against but once the game starts it’s the same size pitch and we’re just focusing on our performance. We haven’t spoken too much yet about the fact that it’s away but we’re hoping that there’s a big performance in us away from home.”
