For Johnny Sexton, attention quickly turns to All Blacks after marking century in style

The game was over as a contest by then, Japan swamped by a suffocating Ireland defence and sweeping attack, but here was Sexton sticking rigidly to the same routine and standards that had taken him so far

Johnny Sexton with a ceremonial sword that he was presented with by Japan after winning his 100th cap for Ireland. Picture: INPHO/Gary Carr

As it was in the beginning, so it was today.

When Johnny Sexton woke up and looked out the window this morning he was presented with the sight of trees being bullied sideways by the wind. Go back 12 years and it was much the same on the day he earned the first of his Ireland caps against Fiji.