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'I can't say enough about the bloke. He's a one-in-a-generation-type player'

By PA
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has described his captain Johnny Sexton as “a one-in-a-generation-type player”.

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Leinster fly-half Sexton is expected to win his 100th international cap in Ireland’s opening Autumn Nations Series fixture against Japan at the Aviva Stadium a week on Saturday.

The 36-year-old, who made his Ireland debut in a 41-6 win against Fiji in 2009, has recovered from a recent hip injury.

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When asked what was key to Sexton’s longevity, Farrell said: “His love for the game. His determination to keep improving. His drive is second to none.

“I can’t say enough about the bloke. He’s a one-in-a-generation-type player. These players don’t tend to know what makes them tick that much, they just love being in it.

“They love wanting to improve and trying to drive the team to get better and they love performing on the big stage. He’s all those things thrown into one.”

Farrell’s side were run close by Japan in July in a hard-fought 39-31 win in Dublin, gaining some revenge following their defeat to the Brave Blossoms at the 2019 World Cup.

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Unrestricted crowds will be allowed at the Aviva Stadium for Ireland’s Autumn Series matches against Japan, New Zealand on November 13 and Argentina the following week.

“The thought of the Aviva being as full as it possibly can be is super-exciting,” Farrell said. “It’s going to lift our boys tremendously, we can’t wait.

“Hopefully Johnny Sexton gets the opportunity to win his 100th cap at the Aviva against Japan and I’m sure the fans will come out in their thousands to celebrate what he has achieved.”

Farrell named a 38-man squad last week, recalling Sexton and versatile Munster back Simon Zebo, plus British and Irish Lions Tadhg Beirne, Tadhg Furlong, Jack Conan, Iain Henderson, Conor Murray and Bundee Aki.

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“We all know the games coming up are going to test us massively,” Farrell added. “We had trouble with Japan in the World Cup and we played them in the summer – we’ve got massive respect for them and how they play the game.

“They’ve got threats all over the field and we love playing against them. That’s a massive challenge for us.

“Then the following week we’ve got the world’s best team (the All Blacks) coming to the Aviva, so everyone’s going to get excited about that.

“Argentina have been playing away for five months and we know how physical, abrasive and emotional that game’s going to be.

“So this is perfect for us. Top-level rugby is all about consistently performing, week in week out as best you can, and that’s the challenge ahead.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
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