JOHNNY SEXTON HAS rejected the suggestion Joe Schmidt’s decision to vacate his post as Ireland head coach following this year’s World Cup has caused a downturn in the team’s form.
Schmidt’s side have been far from their best during the opening three rounds of their Six Nations title defence, with last Sunday’s victory over Italy in Rome pockmarked by a succession of basic errors and a worrying failure to retain possession.
Perhaps most disconcerting, in this year of all years, is the lack of obvious answers as Schmidt and the team bid to figure out why they have produced three substandard performances after a near-perfect season in 2018.
The form of Sexton, and indeed half-back partner Conor Murray, is one of the reasons being suggested for Ireland’s slow start to the championship, while the world’s number two ranked side have also played without their usual clinical accuracy against England, Scotland and now Italy.
Sexton let his frustrations boil over during the closing stages at the Stadio Olimpico as he left the field angrily muttering before kicking a towel on the sideline having been replaced by Connacht’s Jack Carty after 78 minutes.
The Leinster out-half, and World Rugby Player of the Year, admitted he was ‘unbelievably frustrated’ but was not prepared to make excuses for Ireland’s stuttering form.
“How can you not be [frustrated] when you’re doing as good a preparation as you did last year, you’re training as well as you did last year?” he said in an interview with Ireland AM on Virgin Media One.
“You’re doing everything right and things just aren’t clicking.
“No one cares more than us. That’s the bottom line. I’m sorry if I let my frustrations boil over at times but that’s part of me and I care a lot about the team and want it to do well so.
“You don’t always get it right but that’s part of the job. When you care about it you can let things boil over.”
On the notion that Schmidt’s announcement following last November’s historic win over the All Blacks has affected the squad, Sexton continued: “It’s not a distraction.
“We’ll talk about Joe for years to come when he’s finished. But for the moment it’s just been business as usual. Little things here and there just haven’t gone our way and we’re working incredibly hard to put it right.”
Sexton was typically honest in his appraisal of the performances, adding: “We just have to say that we haven’t been good enough yet.
We’ve shown glimpse in games of how good we can be and then we just haven’t.
“The difference, like I said, between playing good and having a bad game is so small.
“We said it when we were winning and you guys [media] think we’re just throwing out the punchlines. They’re genuinely true and something we believe in. And we had a little bit of luck last year along the way to achieve a Grand Slam.
“We probably didn’t get the bounce of those balls against England. Now, we’re trying to find that performance that we need to sort of revive us again and get us going.”
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€85. Rip off Ireland alive and well.
I have a AB’s 2003 World Cup top that I paid €100 for back then.
Still in great condition and I wear it all then time.
Canterbury make good quality and it will last.
@Dave Sherman: Adidas have been making the All Blacks jersey since 1999
@Dave Sherman: did you get it off the African man on the beach in Spain
@Dave Sherman: I’ve ‘France 98′ underpants. 99p. Only worn on super-special occasions.
Why has it taken this long for them to be on sale to the public?
@Seán O’Sullivan:
Potentially market demand wasn’t there?
@Seán O’Sullivan: I have no idea but I’m sure a man somewhere is to blame for it.
@Government Sachs:
Are you sure it is not Leo’s fault :)
@Seán O’Sullivan: wait till you see the price, your sympathy will likely evaporate
Wonderful news.
My wardrobe is now complete.
Suit men with moobs too!!!! Skin tight jerseys ain’t for everyone!!!!!
Are they going to go the way of Dublin GAA and patronize women by offering it in pink?
@Bar Bar Drinks: Not just Dublin who do that (Donegal, Kildare, Mayo, Cork, Meath etc)
Obviously women don’t believe it to be patronising as plenty on show at matches.
@Bar Bar Drinks: Those pink jerseys are everywhere, and they’re awfully popular for something so “patronising”
@Bar Bar Drinks: Every county has a pink ladies jersey.
@Bar Bar Drinks: actually I think Cardiff still have a pink third kit that they play in for breast cancer awareness
What?? Why now instead of before?
P/S Before anyone asks, I’m not interested…..
Let the bandwagon begin
Hopefully comes in more sizes than ‘too tight’
@john Appleseed: or not
Provinces have done it for a while now surprised it took this long
@Dave O Keeffe: no province have men’s jersey as women’s not the jersey the women wear for the province
@Ollie Watson: apologies, you’re correct
Only €85, you could fly anywhere in Europe and back for that. They will be sold out quick. Better get two and one for everyone in the family.
If Irish people weren’t so over weight the jerseys could be cheaper. We’d also have a cheaper health service.
@6ljJQRRU: What a load of rubbish. You pay the same price for an xs size.