Sexton shows Leinster loyalty to play the waiting game

JONATHON SEXTON has gone through some tough times with Leinster, but he’s still prepared to place his future in the hands of Michael Cheika.

Sexton confirmed he has had offers to move to clubs in both France and England, but he’s signed a contract that will keep him in Dublin for at least two more years.

While Cheika is hardly likely to have given the youngster any guarantees that he will be Leinster’s first choice out-half, Sexton is willing to back himself to make the breakthrough on a regular basis sooner rather than later.

The departure of Felipe Contepomi at the end of the season would appear to open the door for Sexton as a goal-kicking specialist within the squad, but he knows Leinster could also replace Contepomi with an internationally-rated out-half.

Yet he insists he is unfazed by such a possibility.

“I think the main positive for me is whoever they sign — and I’m sure they’ll sign a 10 — that I’ll get to compete with him.

“And, if I get to play, I’ll get to place-kick and that’s been something I have missed. Even when I’ve been in the team, Felipe has been kicking and from my perspective that doesn’t help. If I want to get up to an 80-90% required average, I would need to be kicking every week.”

Sexton is desperate to make his mark on the Irish international scene but realises now that perhaps he aimed too high too soon after hitting the high spots in his first season with the province.

He’s learned to be more patient. The temptation of moving abroad to secure first team rugby was strong, but not strong enough to haul him away from where he wants to be.

“I grew up here and I want to be here. I’m prepared to give it everything to nail down that number 10 shirt. I really just want to be the first-choice 10 and that will open up the chance of competing with the other Irish guys then,” he said.

The youngster is eyeing a place on the Irish squad to tour Canada and the USA in May, or at worst a place in the Churchill Cup squad, arguing that he believes Ronan O’Gara will be chosen for the Lions and out of the Irish equation.

That, he reasoned, would leave two places up for grabs on the Canada/USA trip and probably another two for the Churchill Cup.

But, first, he knows he needs exposure at both Magners League and Heineken Cup levels in the coming weeks to press his claims for recognition by national coach Declan Kidney, who has included Sexton in expanded Six Nations squads this season.

He is hoping for selection on the team to meet Ulster at the RDS on Sunday, but is still on tenterhooks.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Darce (Gordon D’Arcy) is back, so we’ll have to see where he fits in.

“The last two games, Michael’s wanted to use me off the bench. Obviously I want to start and I told him that, but he’s going to pick the team he thinks is best to start and then we’ll see what happens. But I’m obviously mad keen to play. These are Irish inter-provincials, I’ve enjoyed them in the past and I’m really looking forward to this one if I get to play.”

If he does feature, he knows he will have to perform; especially now that Ulster have emerged from a rocky spell to turn up the heat on the fancied teams in this Magners League.

They roasted Munster at Thomond Park and Sexton knows not too many teams survive the Limerick experience, never mind beating the home side in such scintillating fashion.

“They’re much improved, almost incomparable to last year. They’re hugely competitive in all areas and have some great strike runners in the backs.

“As dangerous as they are from broken play, they’re also well organised in all areas, so it’s going to be a really tough task for us on Sunday.”