'He's very well capable of it': Ex-England international throws support behind Johnny Sexton's 2023 World Cup bid
Ireland assistant coach Mike Catt believes rugby becomes easier with age and has backed Johnny Sexton to emulate his achievement of enjoying a World Cup swansong.
Catt, who memorably lifted the Webb Ellis Cup with England in 2003, was 36 when he started his country’s World Cup final defeat to South Africa four years later.
Ireland captain Sexton revealed this week he hopes to be part of Andy Farrell’s squad for the 2023 tournament in France, by which time he will be 38.
Catt, who retired from international action after being beaten by the Springboks, can relate to Sexton’s situation and has seen no evidence to suggest his ambition cannot be realised.
“I went until I was 39 (at club level), so I understand what he’s going through,” said Catt.
“The big one for Johnny is enjoying his rugby. He’s a huge figure within the team, he drives the standards, we all know what Johnny is about.
“He thoroughly believes in what we want to achieve as a group of coaches. There’s nobody more passionate than Johnny when he puts on that Irish jersey.
“Depending on injury and everything that goes with it, sometimes it’s out of your control. But, at the moment, where he is mindset-wise, he’s very well capable of it, yes.
“It’s about staying in a good place mentally. Because you’ve got all that knowledge, because you’ve got all the experience inside your head, the game becomes so much easier the older you get.”
Versatile back Catt represented England 75 times between 1994 and 2007 before finally ending his club career in 2010 following lengthy spells playing for Bath and London Irish.
“What we have noticed as a team is in retrospect we probably didn’t attack the week like we normally do"#AutumnNationsCup #ENGvFRA https://t.co/BlunqsOm3J
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 4, 2020
The 49-year-old, capped once by the British and Irish Lions, feels he and Sexton possess similar mentalities in their dedication to the sport.
While he acknowledges desire is a major factor behind a sustained career, Catt warned form ultimately decides the fate of every player.
“I think it’s just a love for the game that drove me. I didn’t want to do anything else in life and I think Johnny doesn’t particularly want to do anything else,” said Catt.
“He’s all about rugby and he’s massively passionate about the game, about Leinster, about Irish rugby.
“If you’re in a good frame of mind then there’s no reason why you can’t carry on performing – but you have to perform.
“There are no excuses about it. If you’re not in form then you don’t get picked.”
Sexton will return from a two-game injury absence to win his 95th test cap for Ireland during Saturday’s Autumn Nations Cup third-place play-off with Gregor Townsend’s Scotland.
In contrast, his direct opponent, Jaco Van Der Walt, will make his international debut in the Scottish number 10 jersey, having completed his residency qualification.
Catt – who, like Edinburgh playmaker Van Der Walt, was born in South Africa – anticipates an intriguing battle between the two fly-halves.
“First of all, congratulations to Jaco for getting his chance, his cap. He’s played well for his club,” said Catt.
"I don’t think rugby is ever boring." #ENGvFRA #AutumnNationsCup https://t.co/F9OrCNMd8N
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 4, 2020
“It’s great that Gregor is trying these new players out – a little bit like we’ve done, new faces that have come in to see if they are capable of performing.
“It’s massively exciting for Jaco to come up against somebody like Johnny Sexton, who has been around for so long.
“I think Johnny will all be about the performance the Irish need to put in – he’s very, very focused on that, like he is every single time he puts that jersey on. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments