Sexton: France move wasn’t my first choice

Jonathan Sexton last night opened up about his move to France next season for the first time since news of his switch to Racing Metro broke and confirmed that his first preference was to remain a Leinster player.

The Ireland and soon-to-be British and Irish Lions out-half admitted that there would be regrets and sadness at his departure from the province after the failure to agree a new contract with the IRFU prior to this year‘s Six Nations.

“Of course, yeah. Leinster still is a massive part of my life, not just my career but my personal life as well,” he said at last night’s annual IRUPA awards. “A lot of my best friends are guys that I have been playing rugby with since I was 15 or 16. It was never between me and Leinster.