Who will follow Pied Piper Sexton?

Rob Kearney has revealed Jonathan Sexton was “upset” that a deal could not be done with the IRFU to keep him at Leinster next season and warned that the out-half’s move to France could pave a path that other Irish internationals will follow.

The Louth-born full-back knows Sexton well, having first played rugby with him at the age of 14, and he has had ample opportunity to speak to his provincial teammate and friend since news broke on Friday that the 10 would be swapping Dublin for Paris come midsummer.

“Jonny will tell you that he probably wanted to stay and it is unfortunate that whatever way the negotiations went on he probably wanted to agree and stay and play his rugby in Ireland, but you can’t always get what you want,” said Kearney.

“But that side of things has probably been parked from his perspective and he is his usual happy-go-lucky self now after a few days over the weekend to get a grasp on things and play things through his mind.”

A decision of monumental proportions for the player, it is no less so for the game of rugby here in Ireland and for Leinster in particular, who must replace a player who has starred in all three of their Heineken Cup successes.

The province has lost talented players in recent years — Felipe Contepomi, Brad Thorn, Nathan Hines and Rocky Elsom among them — but this is the first time since Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings joined Leicester Tigers in 2005 that the club has lost an established Irish international to anything other than retirement.

Kearney accepted the implications of Sexton’s switch will be felt by the three-time European champions but insisted they would not lose their competitiveness. Leinster will no doubt adapt and move on but the fear must be that this will not be the only loss they have to absorb in the coming months.

Kearney’s own contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign and, though he spoke of the satisfaction to be gained from playing and winning with his own province, he was candid about the attractions of a move similar to the one just agreed on by Sexton.

“Guys always talk about leaving and looking for new experiences and France is one of those places that guys would pinpoint so it is very brave of him and you have to admire him for that,” he explained. “Guys will be watching, seeing how it goes for him and if it works out well and he is enjoying life and playing good rugby and earning more doing it then people will look at that and it could open a whole new ball park.”

Kearney had his own chance to be cast in the role of Pied Piper but turned down overtures from the continent and a lucrative switch to the Top 14 in March of 2011 to remain with Leinster despite the disparity between the respective financial rewards on offer. That deal was agreed at a time when Kearney was marooned on the long-term injury list — he missed the last six months of the season — but his bargaining position will be far stronger this time if he can navigate a successful Six Nations unhurt and on the back of Sexton’s game-changing decision.

“I was always very keen to get it sorted before the competition. It is sort of a difficult place to be in when you are trying to determine your future and play the biggest competition of the year as well.

“It is probably not ideal (the talks) always fall around this time but certainly from my perspective, I’ve just parked that a little bit,” he said while adding that he didn’t see the IRFU bringing such negotiations forward in the years to come. My focus is on performance and it has to be a little bit because if you get caught in both, both are going to suffer. So you have to make a decision, choose one, give it all your attention and hopefully the periphery stuff follows along.”