Johnny Sexton vigorously defended over claims he is too soft

Johnny Sexton would want to harden up...

That was the theme running through social media on Saturday side from one disgruntled section of rugby fans. While most of us were marvelling at Sexton's ability to eat some heavy shots and still put in a superb attacking, and kicking, performance, a vocal minority were upset at how many times he hit the deck or needed play held up to receive treatment. The Irish outhalf was in the middle of a fearsome battle on Saturday as England targeted both himself and Kieran Marmion as key links to break. Sexton was on the receiving end of seven big hits after he had moved the ball on. Four were borderline. Two [including the tackle below] were penalised. Sexton impressed an awful lot of rugby fans with his fortitude but many were unhappy at the stoppages in play as he received treatment. https://twitter.com/AndyMunro_/status/843167630198538241 https://twitter.com/SimonCottenham/status/843168820583940096 https://twitter.com/OwenCamera/status/843167787535220736 And that's just a taster of the comments following the game. During the latest episode of SportsJOE Live, host Colm Parkinson put it to former Ireland No.10 that Sexton went to ground too often. O'Gara responded:

"What I think was different in this game was that he got a few shots. After one or two of the shots, I think he should have got up maybe a little bit quicker, most definitely, because that can send a message to other teams - 'We can get at this guy'. "Also the fact is, what really separates him from other players is his ability to deliver the pass at the final moment. "So, if you consider that you have a fixed target in your hand and your looking out this eye and this eye to see, and scan where the potential weakness in the defence could be, you are concentrating on that. It's not like you have your course switched on - the minute you release the ball there is a switch off period and you've got to get into a support roll - so you're at your weakest. "Any little dent on you will put you down."

O'Gara dismissed the notion that Sexton seems to wear hits worse than the likes of New Zealand No.10 Dan Carter. He argued that many of the blows Sexton absorbed last Saturday were different from the ones that laid him low in the past.

"That's not accurate. I don't think he has come down with bangs to the head, bangs to the shoulder, bangs to the neck. [They were] completely unrelated with what happened at the weekend. "There were, one or two of them, that were probably legitimate from the English point of view. I'd say even the neutrals in the crowd were probably saying 'Get up Johnny', because there will be times when you go down and you won't always get the penalty. But if you go down when the moment is right then you will get the penalty."

O'Gara believes Sexton is set to be the Lions' No.10 in New Zealand so he will be set for similarly rough treatment there. Get ready. It's coming.