Johnny Sexton: Three-match ban was 'my own fault'

OWNING IT: Captain Jonathan Sexton during the announcement of the Ireland Rugby World Cup squad at The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Jonathan Sexton admits that he has no-one but himself to blame for the ban that kept him sidelined for this summer’s warm-up games and through to Ireland’s first World Cup fixture, against Romania in Bordeaux.

The Leinster veteran was handed a three-match suspension on the back of a disciplinary process that dragged on for two months after he was involved in a heated exchange with match officials at the end of the Heineken Champions Cup final loss to La Rochelle.

Sexton was injured for that game, as he has been since Ireland’s last competitive game, against England in the Six Nations in March, so he will be coming ‘cold’ to Pool B where Ireland will also face Tonga, South Africa and Scotland.

“Incredibly frustrating to have to sit and watch, but it’s obviously my own fault,” he explained. “That’s been life, I’ve just had to do what I could for the team and try learn by watching the guys and contribute where I could.

“It was particularly tough last weekend (in Ireland’s last home game before the World Cup and, likely, his curtain call on Irish soil) at the Aviva, but like I said, you live and learn and happy to move on now.” 

The 38-year old will nonetheless captain his country at the World Cup after being the last man named in Andy Farrell’s squad announcement at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin late on Sunday afternoon.

The hope will be that the end to his Test career can turn out to be much more memorable than the last act with his province but, whatever the turn of events in France, Sexton will clearly harbour deep regrets about his actions at the Aviva Stadium back in May.

“Of course, yeah. I held my hands up. I made a mistake in the heat of the moment. I was obviously very emotional on the day, not being part of what I had mapped out at the start of the year, which was playing my last game for Leinster in the Aviva, winning a European Cup.

“That’s what I dreamt of and then obviously to miss that… There was a lot of emotion that goes with it and in that split second I went on to console my teammates, I made a remark and I regretted it instantly. You make mistakes, you say sorry and hold your hands up.” 

This was Sexton’s first time in front of the media since confirmation of his suspension came through and the thinking will be that this now puts all that to bed and allows the player and the squad to look ahead to the business at hand without distraction.

The Ireland out-half spoke of his pride at being handed the captaincy for his country at a World Cup, for him and for his family, and how he would have gladly accepted that award had it been offered four years ago.

For his club and country teammate Cian Healy the frustrations are all in the present day and during the tournament to come with confirmation that the veteran prop has missed the 33-man squad as a result of the calf injury suffered against Samoa in Bayonne.

Healy has already signalled that he will continue to play on beyond the tournament in France but this will be a major blow for the 35-year who, Farrell said, may conceivably play some part if Ireland travel deep into the World Cup.

“Yeah, I only just found out five minutes ago,” said Sexton. “He’s been through ups and downs in his career, a very decorated player and a great player. We’re going to miss him and I’m gutted for him, how he’s prepared for this tournament and how he’s trained.”