Johnny Sexton won’t have to buy a pint for a while but, right now, the entire country wants a bit of him.
For any GAA fans out there, you might remember the end of the 2016 All-Ireland final when Cormac Costello came off the bench and kicked three points as Dublin saw off Mayo in the replay with just the minimum between the sides.
Jack McCaffrey, who wasn’t playing for the Dubs that year, called dibs.
https://twitter.com/jackmcc93/status/782277020566876160
There’s a rush you get watching sport where, if you can’t get your hands on the hero of the hour, you’ll happily grab the man sitting next to you and plant your lips on his cheek and embrace like you knew each other your whole lives. It’s the physical manifestation of all the joy and love you’re feeling inside. At its very best, sport is more than unifying and inspirational and exhilarating. It’s magical.
What Johnny Sexton did with the last kick of the game, so far from goals, after about 900 phases on a wet night in Paris, trailing by a point, really could never be downplayed.
Ronan O’Gara referenced the word ‘balls’ time and time again after the match and it really was an athlete hanging it all on the line, walking the tightrope of the extraordinary and the failure and having not just the skill but the downright bottle to execute something so risky with no time left and no room for error.
The Sexton Effect pic.twitter.com/7QBK4S1Cwv
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) February 3, 2018
So whether Ireland were flat, whether they gave the French too much respect and whether there are loads of issues to address or not, the only thing you could possibly talk about after a game like that is a once in a generation kick.
It supersedes any negativity or any bloody analysis for that matter. That’s how you win games and that’s how you make history.
And, on the BBC coverage of Ireland’s 15-13 win in the Six Nations opener, Gabby Logan signed off with a pun and a nod to the man of the hour.
https://twitter.com/MichaelSerevena/status/959864965598515201
But, naturally, it got too many people too excited.
https://twitter.com/Penberth1/status/959864264910614528
She did a good job presenting the show though.
Loved @GabbyLogan summary of the match! On point throughout! #FRAvIRE
— Niall Ó hEidhin (@NiallHynes) February 3, 2018
And the people liked a bit of cheekiness.
Cheeky @GabbyLogan, love it! #FRAvIRE
— Anna Gallagher (@Anna_ChristinaG) February 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/pete_rawlins/status/959865621503709184
Others were a little more nervous about the whole thing.
Gabby Logan pausing a bit too much on the SEX TON comment then #6nations
— Dan 🏴 (@DanLeahy71) February 3, 2018
Did @GabbyLogan really just say what I thought I heard?#FRAvIRE #SixNations #SixNations2018
— Gareth Tancred (@GTancred) February 3, 2018
Finally, someone puts it into words for us.
@GabbyLogan: "Let's talk about SEX . . . (long pause) . . . Ton!" 🙈 totes awks! #FRAvIRE 🇮🇪 @BBCSport @JohnnySexton @IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/dpWIxWfux5
— Yasmin Morrissey (@MorrisseyYasmin) February 3, 2018
