Andy Farrell: 'Why wouldn't we take Johnny Sexton's experience on tour?'

BRINING HIMSELF: Andy Farrell says that Johnny Sexton brings himsef to the table in place of coaching experience. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Think back to mid-February. Ireland have just beaten Scotland, convincingly, on the second weekend of the Six Nations. Sam Prendergast has starred and Johnny Sexton is still working in the real world while dabbling in some part-time coaching.

Imagine the odds then that, of these two Irish out-halves, it would be the one in his late-30s, whose title was chief of staff with the Ardagh Glass company, and not the twentysomething protege, who might go on to tour Australia with the British and Irish Lions.

And yet here we are.

If the naming of Sexton as an assistant coach for this party last month came from leftfield then the omission of Prendergast was no shock. Though unquestionably a talented player with a high ceiling, there are simply too many questions over him as of yet.

The Dubliner has played less than 40 games of professional rugby and his limitations in defence, while well-known prior to last weekend, were ruthlessly exposed by a Northampton Saints side that evicted Leinster from the Champions Cup.

Prendergast’s coronation as Irish rugby’s Next Big Thing has rankled with some, and so it is that he will rejoin battle with Munster’s Jack Crowley for ownership of the Irish No.10 jersey when the national team faces Georgia and Portugal in the coming months.

“Certainly in discussions throughout the process,” said Farrell of the 22-year old. “Sam is competing with Fin [Smith] and Finn [Russell] and those two guys are able to take the team forward. But there's no doubt that Sam was 100% in our thoughts.” 

As for Sexton, his place on the Lions ticket is nothing if not a great story. The man is box office, up there on the Irish game’s modern Mount Rushmore with O’Connell, O’Driscoll and O’Gara, and Farrell expects him to bring plenty to the table beyond a fascination for the media and public.

Paul O’Connell, who has far more coaching experience under his belt than Sexton, said only this week that he hadn’t sought a role with the Lions this time around. That he didn’t feel he was far enough along his journey to be taking that on.

Sexton was always described as a player-coach long before he hung up the boots, but he has precious little in the way of actual coaching experience on his CV beyond the sort-of consultancy role he did with Ireland last November and in the recent Six Nations.

So, what is it, exactly, that he brings to the table?

“He's bringing himself, that's what he's bringing. All the stuff that goes with that. His remit, his role and responsibilities is the kicking side of things, like with Neil Jenkins with the fantastic work that he's done on previous tours that he's been on.

“It's not just been about the kicking. We lean on all of that experience and knowledge that they've had on tours. Why wouldn't we take that?” All that knowledge and experience includes two Lions tours, in 2013 and 2017. Sexton featured in six Tests. He dealt with the pressure that came with his battle for game time alongside Owen Farrell and the general madness that follows these tours.

“It’s a short tour,” the 39-year old explained on stage at the 02, “but I’ve experienced a lot and being able to pass on that experience is something I’m excited about.” Confirming that the bulk of his brief will be working on the kicking game, it will be fascinating to see how his relationship with Finn Russell develops given he was less than effusive about the Scot in an interview given last year.

It’s not the only relationship that might need some smoothing over given the video Northampton released after the weekend’s win when they claimed Leinster were ‘not like them’ and that the Saints’ connection as a group was much stronger.

That too will pass. It will have to if the Lions are to be successful given there are a dozen Leinster players taking the plane Down Under and the English Premiership side will have a quartet of their own, including the outspoken Henry Pollock.

“When you come in, you leave your rivalries at the door,” said Sexton. “You’ve a responsibility to mix with other nations, but it happens naturally. It’s the pinnacle, when you get picked it’s one thing but if you get the jersey, and if you’re on a successful tour, it lives with you forever.”