“Not my finest hour.”
Johnny Sexton has revealed an incident from his playing days where he accidentally injured Leo Cullen during a training session.
The two are prominent figures in Leinster Rugby, with Sexton considered one of the greatest players to represent the club, and Cullen having captained the team to multiple successes as both a player and head coach.
The incident occurred during the 2011 Rugby World Cup when Sexton and Cullen were part of the Ireland squad.
At the time, there was intense competition for the Ireland number 10 position between Sexton and Ronan O’Gara.
Sexton had started against Australia, but struggled with his kicking, leading to O’Gara finishing the match and reclaiming the starting spot.
Frustrated after being dropped for the following match against Russia, Sexton lost his temper during a training session in Dunedin.
He was participating in a training match with the B team when an altercation occurred with Cullen, who was his club captain and a close teammate.
Sexton described the incident in his upcoming book, Obsessed, stating:
“He grabbed me at a ruck and I slapped his arm away aggressively. It happened again, and I swung again.
“He slapped me in the face, and that’s when the red mist descended.
“I grabbed him by the collar and started swinging like mad.
“People tried to drag me back, but I lost the rag altogether.
“I split him open, just above the eye.”
Sexton expressed regret over the incident, emphasising that it was not his proudest moment.
“I’m sure I took him by surprise. We were very close, after all.
“He was my club captain and I had massive respect for him.
“I’m sure it took everyone by surprise. Not my finest hour.”
He later apologised to Cullen, who accepted his apology.
Sexton acknowledged that the atmosphere during the altercation was tense.
Known for his competitive nature, Sexton has faced similar situations throughout his career, including a confrontation with New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane during the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Paris.
The former Ireland captain retired after that match.
Sexton’s autobiography will be published this month, and sections of it have been serialised in The Sunday Times.
