Johnny Sexton: 'It will live with us for a long time, how the World Cup finished for us'

Johnny Sexton believes Ireland’s miserable World Cup quarter-final exit will live with the players for a long time but the Leinster captain is hoping a new Heineken Champions Cup campaign will help the healing process.

Ireland crashed out of the World Cup in Japan with a 46-14 hammering by New Zealand in Tokyo on October 19, the third defeat at the last-eight stage Sexton, 34, has suffered in an otherwise glittering playing career.

The manner of that defeat at the hands of a ruthless All Blacks side has left its scars but the fly-half is hoping the upcoming European competition can offer some redemption.

Four-time champions Leinster, runners-up to Saracens in last May’s final at Newcastle’s St James’ Park, open their Pool 1 campaign in Dublin on Saturday, November 16 at the RDS against PRO14 rivals Benetton Rugby and Sexton is itching the opportunity to get back into the Champions Cup fray.

"I think we're all dying to get back into another game of rugby, really, you want to get rid of the memories of the last one,” Sexton said in Cardiff on Tuesday at the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup season launch.

I don't think they'll be gone that easily, it will live with us for a long time, how the World Cup finished for us. But yeah, just get back into a new competition and try and get that fifth trophy that we've been chasing.

Another motivation for Leinster and their skipper is to atone for last season’s 20-10 European final defeat to Saracens.

"We look back at that game with a few regrets but they're a top quality team and they're going to be tough to beat,” Sexton added.

"I think we will take the hurt from that into this season, we haven't changed too much in terms of personnel, there will be some more young lads coming through from the Academy system which has produced so many good ones over the years and we'll be relying heavily on them again.

“We haven't made any signings as such for this season so it's the same group and hopefully that will drive us on to try and get to the final again.”