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Former Ireland captain Johnny Sexton.

'The Irish system would be mad to say no to him' - IRFU open to Sexton coaching role

High performance director David Nucifora says the Union would “absolutely” work with the former out-half again.

DAVID NUCIFORA BELIEVES the IRFU “would be mad to say no” to Johnny Sexton if the now retired out-half expressed a desire to take on a coaching role within the Irish system.

Sexton retired from playing following Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in October. The 38-year-old was swiftly linked with a return to the Ireland set-up amid speculation Mike Catt was set to step down as Ireland attack coach.

Yesterday, IRFU performance director David Nucifora confirmed Catt would be moving on at the end of the 2023/24 season. Catt will depart his role after seeing out the 2024 Six Nations campaign and the summer tour to South Africa.

Nucifora said the IRFU hope to announce Catt’s successor in the coming weeks.

“We’re obviously talking to someone and it’s confidential but we’ll probably be in a position to announce it within a few weeks.”

The Australian then said the IRFU would be keen to have Sexton on board, should the former Leinster and Ireland captain decide to move into coaching.

Look, if he chose he’d like to do that we’d absolutely work with him. I think for Johnny at the moment it’s just taking a bit of time to take a deep breath. It’s been a long career to decompress and work out his in his own head what he really wants to do.

“There’s obviously a lot of rugby intellect in there and you’d like to access it or use it in some way if you had the ability to do it, but he’s got to decide what it is that floats his boat over the next period of time, but if he ever chose to want to come back into coaching the Irish system would be mad to say no to him.”

Nucifora was speaking to the media shortly after the IRFU confirmed a new four-year contract for head coach Andy Farrell.

Farrell first joined the Irish system as an assistant coach in 2016, before succeeding Joe Schmidt as head coach after the 2019 World Cup. This he steered Ireland to Grand Slam success and was named World Rugby Coach of the Year.

And with the Wigan native now on board to lead Ireland through to the end of the 2027 World Cup, Nucifora believes Farrell has the potential to become one of the all-time coaching greats.

“Certainly, we approached Andy very quickly in 2015 because I saw him as a guy who definitely had the ability to be a head coach and we’re all aware of Andy’s career as a player; the guy’s a winner, he finds an ability to get things done,” Nucifora said.

“The first four years of his tenure, the way that he contributed as an assistant coach was outstanding and he’s actually gone on to become a better head coach that I ever thought he would be in such a short period of time.

“When you look at what he’s been able to do in four years, I think that in another four years he’s going to have evolved himself personally as a head coach as well and the way he looks at things.

“If he keeps improving himself at the rate that he’s done in the first four years, I think you’re going to have a coach that is going to be one of the all-time great coaches.”

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    Mute Mikey Walsh
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    Dec 15th 2023, 6:50 AM

    If he has a desire to coach then he should forge his own path like O Gara has done and build respect for coaching achievements rather than take a soft coaching role within the IRFU on the back of his player status.
    I’ve a feeling Johnny is no O Gara and will go into the secure and safe option of the Irish setup

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    Mute Adrian Breen
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    Dec 15th 2023, 7:41 AM

    @Mikey Walsh: agreed Mikey. Would even be a little surprised if he took this path ( straight into international)
    I’d imagine he’ll take a decent break first and then forge his own path

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    Mute brian o'leary
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    Dec 15th 2023, 7:50 AM

    @Adrian Breen: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…

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    Mute James Murphy
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    Dec 15th 2023, 8:00 AM

    @Mikey Walsh: Did O’gara have any other options? Who knows, I suppose, you take the deal your dealt.

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    Mute chris mcdonnell
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    Dec 15th 2023, 8:10 AM

    @Mikey Walsh: so Johnny shouldn’t go the way of say paul O’ Connell? Or maybe start off with leinster like Denis Leamy? If this was Earls you’d be delighted. Oh and by the way sexton has not expressed any interest in coaching.

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    Mute TL55
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    Dec 15th 2023, 9:11 AM

    @chris mcdonnell: O’Connell spent a year with Stade Francais. That aside seeing how thing work in other countries would add to his long term benefit to Ireland if he’s interested in a coaching role.

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    Mute John Buckley
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    Dec 15th 2023, 10:03 AM

    @chris mcdonnell: O’Connell only had 2 years of coaching and should not have got the job. The fact he can’t sort out the lineout shows he doesn’t have the necessary experience. Leamy was a player development officer in Leinsters academy and that is a good place for someone to gain experience. This article is about Sexton and coaching, not Earls.

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    Mute Sea Point
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    Dec 15th 2023, 10:14 AM

    @Mikey Walsh: like O’Connell, you mean? Yeah, sure look what happened there. Bad IRFU, bad IRFU. And for sure, Sexton isn’t O’Gara, he’s record point scorer for Ireland, scored more tries for Ireland, mutiple Test Lion, won more URC & Champions cups than ROG. So like ROG, but better according to stats…

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    Mute SPQH
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    Dec 15th 2023, 10:16 AM

    @Mikey Walsh: so he should forge his own path by following the path O’Gara has taken? Sounds like a contradictory statement. If he wants to go straight into the Irish set up that’s his choice. Results is what matters. Like you said, he’s no ROG so he will make his own choices. I don’t think Johnny needs a life of being constantly being measured against his predecessor in the 10 shirt, a measure he has put to bed. Sexton has already proven himself as one of the greatest 10s the game has ever seen, possibly in Ireland top 3 greatest ever players. He can retire in peace.

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    Mute Michael Murray
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    Dec 15th 2023, 6:24 AM

    If you want to take an educated guess at leadership styles you’d have to say that at the heart of AF’s success has been the switch away from the transactional style(Command & Control) of Joe Schmidt to a transformational style(encourage the heart). Johnny always appeared to be more at home with ‘Command & Control’ and you’d wonder if a clash of styles would be a help or a hindrance within the squad .

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    Mute Con Cussed
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    Dec 15th 2023, 7:09 AM

    He was a great player and motivator for his team at critical times, especially that Champion Cup game over Northampton in 2011. He’ll do well in coaching but maybe he should start with Connacht or Ulster and build some credibility. If good enough he can join the Irish setup. He definitely has the rugby know-how but needs to tame some aspects of his personality that made him standout amongst his peers.

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    Mute Neil “Montyman65” Montgomery
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    Dec 15th 2023, 8:15 AM

    Definitely too soon for him as a coach. Also, probably best to wait and see how the player dynamic develops in his absence. New leaders need to emerge and the new number tens need to develop their own game in his absence.

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    Mute Stephen Nolan
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    Dec 15th 2023, 10:13 AM

    He has spent the last two years cultivating a career outside of rugby. Has said himself openly that he has no wish to have a career in rugby after playing, for family reasons. This is just clickbait nonsense. Ask a leading question, then build a story around it.

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