Ten matches that helped define Johnny Sexton's career in green

Think back over the greatest moments in Ireland’s rugby history over the past decade and Johnny Sexton has been at the heart of most of them. Three Six Nations titles, including the 2018 Grand Slam, a series win in Australia and two victories over the All Blacks are just some examples

MAN OF THE MATCH! Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Heaslip celebrate victory over England back in March 2011.Picture: Brendan Moran

Think back over the greatest moments in Ireland’s rugby history over the past decade and Johnny Sexton has been at the heart of most of them. Three Six Nations titles, including the 2018 Grand Slam, a series win in Australia and two victories over the All Blacks are just part of the story that shows that when Sexton excels, so do Ireland.

The 36-year-old makes his 100th Test appearance for his country against Japan in Dublin today in what will be his 91st Test start. That speaks volumes for the influence the fly-half and captain has exerted over Irish rugby since his debut 12 years ago and why former team-mate and current Ireland assistant coach Paul O’Connell ]placed him in the same company as Henry Shefflin and Roy Keane in terms of their winning mentalities.

So no better time to pay tribute to Sexton than by picking out 10 of the matches that have helped define his career in green over his first 99 caps.

1) Ireland v Fiji, RDS, November 21, 2009: Sexton’s debut under Declan Kidney and a man of the match performance in the pouring rain as he kicked seven from seven, five conversions and two penalties in 41-6 victory. He had made his mark with Leinster six months earlier, replacing an injured Felipe Contepomi in a famous European semi-final win over Munster, now he was gunning for the Irish number 10 jersey then in the possession of Ronan O’Gara.

2) Ireland v South Africa, Croke Park, November 28, 2009: Sexton replaced O’Gara the following week to start against the world champions South Africa and kicked all 15 points in a thrilling five-point victory. It later emerged that he had finished the game with a broken bone in his hand.

3) Ireland v England, Aviva Stadium, March 19, 2011: Restored to the side despite poor form, the number 10 turned in a man-of-the-match performance, kicking 14 points in a 24–8 win to help deny England a Grand Slam.

4) France v Ireland, Stade de France, March 15, 2014: With second try-scoring double of this year’s Six Nations and scoring 17 of Ireland’s 22 points in a two-point win over the French in the final round, Sexton’s influence helps land a championship title for Joe Schmidt in his first campaign as head coach.

5) Scotland v Ireland, Murrayfield, March 21, 2015: This title-clinching victory encapsulated Sexton’s superior game management skills throughout this championship as Ireland won 40-10 to pip England on points difference. Sexton guided his side magnificently around Murrayfield, kicking four penalties and three conversions to secure a successful title defence.

6) Ireland v England, Aviva Stadium, March 18, 2017: Another Six Nations final-round tour de force from Sexton with England once again the victims, Eddie Jones’s men denied a Grand Slam in Dublin thanks to the Irish fly-half’s resilience in the face of a flurry of late tackles on him. It was after one such assault that Sexton picked himself up off the turf in the third quarter and coolly kicked over a penalty from long-range for the winning points in a 13-9 victory.

7) France v Ireland, Stade de France, February 3, 2018: No passage of play better typifies Sexton’s impact on a game, influence on his team and ability to accurately execute his skills than the closing stages of this match in the Paris rain. Trailing by a point with two minutes remaining of this opening Six Nations match, Sexton caught a missed penalty and orchestrated a 41-phase drive from behind the Irish posts with a pinpoint 22 drop, an inch-perfect crossfield kick to Keith Earls and then the long-range drop goal to secure the 15-13 victory. Truly superlative.

8) England v Ireland, Twickenham, March 18, 2018: Starting a Grand Slam bid is one thing, finishing it off quite another and Sexton managed it on this frozen day in London with a variation of the fly-half’s renowned wrap-around pass unlocking England’s defences midway through the first half of an imperious team performance. It was actually a dummy that did it, with a wonderfully executed attack off a lineout, and Tadhg Furlong handing the ‘return’ pass not to Sexton but to Bundee Aki instead, whose break led to a CJ Stander try.

9) Australia v Ireland, Allianz Stadium Sydney, June 23, 2018: Taking over the tour captaincy from an injured Rory Best, Sexton starts the second and third Tests as Ireland rebound from an opening-game loss in Brisbane and kicks five penalties in a 20-16 series-clinching win.

10) Ireland v New Zealand, Aviva Stadium, November 17, 2018: Sexton enjoys his and Ireland’s second victory over the All Blacks in two years and first on home soil with a resolute defensive display and nerveless goal-kicking performance to deliver 11 points in 16-9 win, also combining with Bundee Aki to set Jacob Stockdale up for an excellent only try of the game.