He went seeking glory on foreign fields but may be returning sooner than planned.
Johnny Sexton could join his former [and soon to be] Leinster teammates on an early summer holiday if his Racing Métro team fail to win their final game of the Top 14 regular season, on Saturday.
Sexton was dropped to the Racing bench, last Saturday, for their 18-18 draw away to La Rochelle. The Irish out-half was one of a number of star players that felt the ire of club president Jacky Lorenzetti, following their home defeat to 14-man Stade Francais, two weeks ago.
He entered the fray after 53 minutes and helped Racing turn a 15-13 deficit into an 18-15 lead. Maxime Machenaud, Racing scrum-half, retained the kicking duties but missed his conversion attempt, follow the Wenceslas Lauret try. That left the door ajar for La Rochelle’s Fabien Fortassin to tie the game with a last-minute penalty.
The draw saw Racing lose further ground on Oyannax and Bordeaux Bégles in the race for a top six spot. Racing are in seventh, on the same points as Bordeaux, and at home to Castres on Saturday.
Bordeaux – on 60 points, like Racing – are away to fourth place Toulouse. Oyonnax [62 points] are away to Toulon. There is every chance that Racing’s rivals may both lose, on the road, but they must first overcome 10th place Castres, who ensured their survival last weekend.
If Racing do finish seventh, they would face the winners of the Champions Cup play-off between Connacht and Gloucester this Friday.
Grenoble, coached by Bernard Jackman, are on the same points as Castres [52] but are not yet safe. They are away to bottom-placed Lyon, on Saturday, and need a solitary point to survive.
They find themselves five points clear of Bayonne [in 13th] after they best Toulouse 32-11 at the weekend. Former Ulster centre Chris Farrell came off the bench in that win at Stade des Alpes.
Will Jackman and Farrell may live to fight another day, in the Top 14, Sexton could find his journey at an end if Racing do not secure their first league win since March 27.
