“At half-time, I thought, ‘Oh my God!'” – Johnny Sexton on Ireland’s moment of destiny

Even when the inevitable fitness question arose, captain and coach responded in high spirits.

After a week in which the Head Injury Assessment process and Johnny Sexton’s capacity to play the Second Test against New Zealand were raised, Saturday in Dunedin had a happier end.

Johnny Sexton had been cleared to play, earlier in the week, and the only concern at the end of Ireland’s 23-12 victory at Forsyth Barr Stadium was the sight of the outhalf limping off. One suspected that if he had not tweaked his knee, he would have seen out the entire game.

“I’ll be okay,” said Sexton, before Ireland coach Andy Farrell jumped in, and remarked that he would be facing the Maori All Blacks, next game out.

“He’s playing Tuesday. He’s starting on Tuesday night!”

Sexton laughed before getting serious again. “I’ll be fine,” he insisted. Some rugby fans here may want to see Joey Carbery get a starting crack at 10, but it will take a seismic intervention to keep Sexton out of the Test Series decider in Wellington, next weekend.

‘To bounce back after that was special’ – Johnny Sexton

The mood in the Irish press conference buoyant but neither Farrell or Sexton was getting carried away. The captain reflected on a frantic second quarter of a game that saw four cards flashed, Ireland chances frittered away and a Beauden Barrett try under the posts. From one illegal tackle away from 15-0 ahead [at least], Ireland were only 10-7 ahead by half-time.

“Any time you create a little bit of history, it means a lot. It’s a very, very special day for everyone in the country. We talk about it a lot. We talk about making everyone back at home very proud of us. It is right at the top of our list.

“The effort we put in last week, we didn’t get the rewards [but] it was the same effort again this week. It was touch-and-go, at times. at half-time, I thought, ‘Oh my God!’, but the reaction in the second half was superb.”

All Blacks prop Angus Ta’avao was red-carded after half an hour of the game, but Ireland had to start the second half at parity with the hosts. James Ryan had been yellow-carded for successive breakdown penalties and was in the bin for the first eight minutes, after the restart. By the time he returned, though, Ireland led 17-7 after Sexton had converted Andrew Porter’s second try.

“To bounce back after that [try] was great, but we stayed in the moment very well. It wasn’t perfect. We feel that we could have played better, in parts but, look, a very special day.”

Sexton said his half-time thoughts were on how Ireland had showed poor discipline, and not been clinical, when England had been reduced to 14 men, early in their Six Nations encounter, earlier this year.

“We were giving them access and giving them rolling mauls in our 22… they took their try very well but, as I said, I was happy with how we responded.”

For Farrell, he reflected how special the victory was as ‘no other Irish side will get a chance to do that again’.

At the 14th time of asking, Ireland have won a Test against the All Blacks in New Zealand. For Johnny sexton and Andy Farrell, it will only mean something lasting if they can follow up that triumph with another.

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