Jonathan Sexton now sees similarities between Racing Metro and Leinster

While Clermont and Toulon both suffered embarrassing defeats in the Top 14 at the weekend, Jonathan Sexton’s Racing Metro ground out an impressive 12-6 win in a wet and windy Bayonne.

It wasn’t pretty but it earned the Parisians a precious four points and proved that the club once regarded as France’s Fancy Dans have added steel to their game this season.

It was a point made by Sexton in an interview with Midi Olympique yesterday in which the Ireland out-half looked forward to Sunday’s visit of Saracens in the Champions Cup quarter-final, while also reflecting on his three cup successes with Leinster. Asked if Leinster and Racing had any common ground, Sexton replied: “A year ago I wouldn’t have said so but since the start of the season there’s been a really exceptional spirit at the heart of this squad. We can feel this on the pitch, we play for each other and not with each other.”