'Put that in the book' - Ioane savours latest chapter of grudge match with Sexton and Ireland

All Blacks centre who was focus of Sexton's recently released autobiography takes to Instagram to send another message in wake of NZ's comprehensive win on Friday night

Sat, 09 Nov, 2024 - 19:15

Examiner Staff

Having ended Ireland's 19-game winning run on home turf on Friday night, the All Blacks had plenty of reason to enjoy a slice of Saturday satisfaction.

One member of the New Zealand contingent wasn't shy in indulging himself. Rieko Ioane turned to social media to rub more than a little salt into Irish wounds in just the latest instalment of his grudge match with Jonathan Sexton.

The former captain and Ioane had a high-profile clash last October after the full-time whistle of Ireland's gut-wrenching World Cup quarter-final defeat at Kiwi hands in Paris. One of the most talked-about sections of Sexton's recently released autobiography opened up on what went down at the Stade de France.

“Don’t miss your flight home tomorrow...enjoy retirement, you c***,” was Ioane's message to Sexton, according to the out-half's account in Obsessed. It left more than a bad taste.

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“So much for the All Blacks’ famous 'no d********' policy," Sexton added. "So much for their humility. I walk after Ioane and call him a fake-humble f*****. It doesn’t look great, me having a go at one of them just after we’ve lost. But I can’t be expected to ignore that.”

Having again come out on the winning side against an Irish team on Friday, Ioane took to Instagram to post a photograph of himself leading the Haka at Lansdowne Road with a deliciously cutting caption which simply read: "Put that in the book" with an emoji of a joker playing card.

The last laugh? Perhaps so. And a loud one to leave Irish ears ringing too.